Policy Server Guides › Policy Server Configuration Guide › User Directories › Named Expressions › Define Named Expressions › Virtual User Attributes › Virtual User Attribute Use Case

Virtual User Attribute Use Case

This use case represents a basic scenario in which two LDAP user directories identify the last and first names of users with different underlying schema.

The following illustration shows how the virtual user attribute #SortName (LastName,FirstName) can be calculated for users in different user directories through user attribute mapping. User attribute mapping lets you map one common name to different user attribute names in different user directories.

1. Two user directories identify the last and first names of users differently. To create a common view of this information, you can create user attribute mappings:
   • FirstName maps to the underlying directory schema that identify the first names of users in Directory A and Directory B.
   • LastName maps to the underlying directory schema that identify the last names of users in Directory A and Directory B.
2. #SortName is a virtual user attribute that can calculate the sort name of users in both directories with the following expression:

   (LastName + "," + FirstName)
   

3. Instead of entering the expression (LastName + "," + FirstName) repeatedly, you can create a virtual user attribute named #SortName that is defined as: (FirstName + "," + LastName). Then, you can enter #SortName each time that the expression is needed.