EmpowerID provides an out-of-the-box connector for Microsoft Active Directory that inventories and performs CRUD (Create, Update, Delete) operations for user, contact, group, user/group assignments, and Organizational Unit objects in the domain using standard Microsoft LDAP and Kerberos commands. The system understands parent/child domain relationships and domain trust configurations as well so that you can manage cross-domain memberships in groups.
The Account Store connection is configured through the UI by running the Create Account Store workflow from the Admin à Applications and Directories à Account Stores and Systems page. During the configuration workflow, you will enter the basic information to allow the system to connect to the target domain. The workflow will then establish the connection and inventory the OU structure of the domain and return you to the Account Store list so you can then bring up and complete the configuration of the remaining parameters. The following section walks you through the basic setup of an AD account store.
Once you initiate the workflow, you will need to select the type of system you will be connecting to. In this case, you will search for and select the Active Directory Domain Services system type.
The next screen is where you will enter the basic connectivity information for the target domain you want to connect to. This is the screen where you will also let the system know if you are connecting to a local AD domain or a remote domain that requires the Cloud Gateway.
After the workflow connects to the target domain and creates the basic account store definition, you will need to then edit the account store to complete the configuration of the various settings, and job schedules for the account store.
The following table provides a detailed description of the various configuration parameters for an Active Directory Account store.
Account Store Settings
Setting
Description
General Settings
IT Environment Type
Allows you to specify the type of environment in which you are creating the account store.
Account Store Type
Allows you to specify the type of account store you are creating.
Option 1 Specify an Account Proxy
Allows you to change the credentials for the account that EmpowerID uses to connect to and manage the account store.
Option 2 Select a Vaulted Credential as Account Proxy
Allows you to use a credential that you have vaulted in EmpowerID as the account that EmpowerID uses to connect to and manage the account store.
Use Secure LDAPS Binding
Specifies whether you are using Secure LDAP to encrypt LDAP data when establishing a directory bind.
Inventoried Directory Server
Allows you to select a connected server as the directory server for the account store.
Is Remote (Cloud Gateway Connection Required)
This setting appears for account stores with local directories, such as Active Directory, LDAP, SAP, etc. When enabled, this tells EmpowerID to use the Cloud Gateway Connection for that account store. The Cloud Gateway Connection must be installed on an on-premise machine. For installation information, please see Installing the EmpowerID Cloud Gateway Client.
Is Visible in IAM Shop
Specifies whether the account store can be used to filter objects relative to the account store, such as groups, to users searching for resources in the IAM Shop.
Authentication and Password Settings
Use for Authentication
Specifies whether user credentials in the external system can be used to authenticate to EmpowerID.
Allow Search for User Name in Authentication
This setting works in conjunction with pass-through authentication to allow users to log in without specifying a domain name. When this is enabled, EmpowerID first checks to see if the user name entered exists within its Identity Warehouse and if so attempts to authenticate as that user. If a matching logon name exists but the login fails, EmpowerID then searches through all Accounts Stores where simple username search is enabled to find the correct user name and password combination.
Allow Password Sync
Enables or disables the synchronization of password changes to user accounts in the domain based on password changes for the owning person object or another account owned by the person. This setting does not prevent password changes by users running the reset user account password workflows.
Queue Password Changes
Specifies whether EmpowerID sends password changes to the Account Password Reset Inbox for batch processing.
Password Manager Policy for Accounts without Person
Specifies the Password Manager Policy to be used for user accounts not joined to an EmpowerID Person.
Provisioning Settings
Allow Person Provisioning (Joiner Source)
Specifies whether EmpowerID Persons can be provisioned from user accounts in the account store.
Allow Attribute Flow
Specifies whether attribute changes should flow between EmpowerID and the account store.
Allow Provisioning (By RET)
Allows or disallows the Resource Entitlement (RET) Inbox process to auto-provision accounts for this domain for users who receive RET policy-assigned user accounts, but have not yet had them provisioned.
Allow Deprovisioning (By RET)
Allows or disallows the Resource Entitlement Inbox process to auto de-provision accounts for this domain for users who still have RET policy-assigned user accounts, but no longer receive a policy that grants them a user account in the domain. De-provisioning only occurs if the de-provision action on the Resource Entitlement policy is set to De-Provision.
Default User Creation Path
This specifies the default path in which to create user accounts if no location is selected when creating new users in EmpowerID.
Max Accounts per Person
This specifies the maximum number of user accounts from this domain that an EmpowerID Person can have linked to them. This prevents the possibility of a runaway error caused by a wrongly configured Join rule. It is recommended that this value be set to 1 unless users will have more than 1 account and you wish them to be joined to the same person.
Business Role Settings
Allow Business Role and Location Re-Evaluation
Specifies whether Business Role and Location re-evaluation should occur for the account store
Business Role and Location Re-Evaluation Order
Specifies the order of the account store for re-evaluating Business Roles and locations
Inventory Auto Provision OUs as IT System Locations
Specifies whether EmpowerID should automatically provision external OUs as IT System locations
Inventory Auto Provision External Roles as Business Roles
Specifies whether EmpowerID should provision Business roles for external account store roles
Default Person Business Role
Specifies the default EmpowerID Business Role to be assigned to each EmpowerID Person provisioned from the user accounts in the account store.
Default Person Location (leave blank to use account container)
Specifies the default EmpowerID Location to be assigned to each EmpowerID Person provisioned from the user accounts in the account store.
Group Settings
Allow Account Creation on Membership Request
Specifies whether EmpowerID creates user accounts in the account store when an EmpowerID Person without one requests membership within a group belonging to the account store.
Recertify External Group Changes as Detected
Specifies whether detected group changes should trigger recertification.
SetGroup of Groups to Monitor for Real-Time Recertification
Specifies the SetGroup or Query-Based Collection with groups that need to be recertified when changes to the membership of one or more of those groups occurs. The setting must be set to the GUID of the target SetGroup. If the GUID for a specific SetGroup is not set and Recertify External Group Changes as Detected is enabled for the account store, EmpowerID processes all security group memberships for recertification.
Group recertification is processed by the Continuous Group Membership Recertification permanent workflow. This workflow must be enabled for recertification to occur.
Default Group Creation Path
Specifies the default OU in which groups should be created if one is not specified.
EmpowerID Group Creation Path
Specifies the OU in which to create EmpowerID Resource Role groups
Directory Clean Up Enabled
Directory Clean Up Enabled
Specifies whether the SubmitAccountTermination permanent workflow should claim the account store for processing account terminations. When enabled, accounts in the account store that meet the qualifications to be marked for deletion are moved into a special OU within the external directory, disabled and finally deleted after going through an automated approval process. This process involves setting a number of system settings in EmpowerID and requires multiple approvals by designated personnel before an account is finally removed from the account store.
Report Only Mode (No Changes)
When enabled, a report of what the Directory Clean Up process would do is written to the log. The process itself is ignored and all accounts are set to Termination Pending,
OU to Move Stale Accounts
Specifies the external directory in which to move accounts marked for termination.
Special Use Settings
RBAC Assign Group Members On First Inventory
Converts each user account in an group to a Access Level assignment for the EmpowerID Person who owns the user account. Enabling this function is not recommended in most cases as it removes the ability to manage groups in the account store. A consequence of this is that if a user account is removed from a native system, EmpowerID puts the account back in the group.
Automatically Join Account to a Person on Inventory (Skip Account Inbox)
Specifies whether EmpowerID should attempt to join user accounts in the account store to an existing EmpowerID Person during the inventory process. When enabled, the Account Inbox is bypassed.
Automatically Create a Person on Inventory (Skip Account Inbox)
Specifies whether EmpowerID should create new EmpowerID Persons from the user accounts discovered in the account store during the inventory process. When enabled, the Account Inbox is bypassed.
Show in Location Tree
Specifies whether the account store shows in the Location Tree within the EmpowerID UI.
Queue Password Changes on Failure
Specifies whether EmpowerID should send password changes to the Account Password Reset Inbox only when the change fails.
Inventory Settings
Inventory Schedule Interval
Specifies the time span that occurs before EmpowerID performs a complete inventory of the account store. The default value is 10 minutes.
Inventory Enabled
Allows EmpowerID to inventory the user information in the account store.
Membership Settings
Membership Schedule Interval
Specifies the time span in minutes that occurs before EmpowerID runs the Group Membership Reconciliation job. The default value is 10 minutes.
Enable Group Membership Reconciliation
Allows EmpowerID to manage the membership of the account store’s groups, adding and removing user to and from groups based on policy-based assignment rules.
Deleted Object Detection Settings
Enabled
Specifies whether EmpowerID inventories the deleted objects container of the external system.
Interval Minutes
Specifies the time span in minutes that occurs before EmpowerID inventories the deleted objects container of the external system.
Threshold Max % of Deleted Objects
Specifies the maximum number of deleted objects
Threshold in Minutes Since Last Successful Inventory
Specifies the acceptable threshold in minutes since the last successful inventory;
For a detailed step-by-step description of the setup and configuration of an AD account store, see the article Active Directory (On Premise) in our online documentation.
Demos
Connecting to Active Directory through the Cloud Gateway
https://youtu.be/iPpQA6LiOVI