Making your user happy – how to create a perfect profile
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The document outlines how to create and customize profiles using IBM's Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI) for IBM Connections, covering basics, best practices, and real-world examples. It emphasizes maintaining simplicity in custom assemblylines, using appropriate connectors, and ensuring proper SSL configuration. The document also provides tips on handling data synchronization, error logging, and optimizing attribute management.
![Profile Connector & custom Attributes
• Custom extension Attributes are defined in
the data model
• tdi-profiles-config.xml & profiles-types.xml
• If you miss that part, your AssemblyLine will run
without any error but no Data will be updated.
• They have a defined format.
• Array of three string fields:
• ["name:" , "dataType:", "value:“]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/ojwop7elsfgzklxffooh-signature-d94ff214850af8c75d2ec20374a6fe0efda587f7b1c393e8115f31f0ba234abf-poli-151109120232-lva1-app6892/85/Making-your-user-happy-how-to-create-a-perfect-profile-20-320.jpg)
Making your user happy – how to create a perfect profile
- 1. Making your user happy – how to create a perfect profile Andreas Artner Fritz & Macziol
- 2. That's me…. Andreas Artner • IBM Software Consultant • Working with Fritz & Macziol www.fum.de • Focusing on Integration, Interfaces, SSO and other fun stuff • Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI) enthusiast aartner@fum.de @AnderlArtner http://tdiblog.anderls.com
- 3. PLATINUM & CHAMPAGNE SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS
- 4. What we will cover today… • Some TDI basics • Building custom TDI AssemblyLines for IBM Connections • Best practices and Tips • Real world examples
- 5. What is TDI ? • (Tivoli) IBM Security Directory Integrator • Don’t get fooled by the name • Incredible powerful and flexible • The most valuable add-on that IBM gives to you • To make your Users happy you just need to identify the data sources and push the info to their profiles !
- 6. TDI Terms • Solution Directory • TDI‘s working Directory • Workspace • Here you store your projects • Project • One or more AssemblyLines and related resources • A single XML-File • AssemblyLine • The Interface logic • Connector • Connection to a Data source or target
- 7. Customizing TDI for IBM Connections • Many choices: • Configure Standard TDI Solution • Simple Attribute mapping • Custom Functions • Extension Attributes • Custom AssemblyLines • that work in combination with the standard AssemblyLines • that are independent • What is the right approach ?
- 8. Customizing TDI for IBM Connections • Keep it simple and easy to maintain • Can it be done with standard functionality ? Do it. • Don’t mess up with the standard AssemblyLines – rather create your own project. • Know what you are doing, make your changes error proven
- 9. Example - profiles_function.js • TDI Sync fails with every run • "exception": java.lang.NullPointerException“ Small difference – great impact
- 10. TDI Development environment • Install TDI • Use exactly the same Version as in your Connections installation – but don’t do it on the same box ! • You can run multiple TDI Versions on the same machine • Setup your Directory Structure • <TDI Development> • <Version> • Release • TDISOL • Workspace
- 11. TDI Development environment • Grab the TDISOL directory from your Connections installation – the easy way. • Or extract it from the install sources and adjust the properties / xml files. • Create a .bat /.sh to launch your TDI Development instance
- 12. TDI Development environment • Launch TDI and select the workspace folder that you just created
- 13. TDI Development environment • CTGDKD004E Could not create RMI custom socket factories. Exception occurred: {0} : Keystore was tampered with, or password was incorrect.
- 14. TDI Development environment • Create a new Project • Add profiles_tdi.xml as Reference
- 15. TDI Development environment • Add the profiles property store:
- 16. TDI Development environment • The values from the Property store should look familiar to you
- 17. TDI Development environment • Not a must but sometime useful – import the original profiles_tdi project in your workspace
- 18. TDI Development environment • Your environment should now look like this: • Ready to go
- 19. How to connect to IBM Connections • Available TDI Connectors: • ProfileConnector • PhotoConnector • PronunciationConnector • CodesConnector • API • Profiles Administration API • openntf: TDI Connectors for IBM Connections
- 20. Profile Connector & custom Attributes • Custom extension Attributes are defined in the data model • tdi-profiles-config.xml & profiles-types.xml • If you miss that part, your AssemblyLine will run without any error but no Data will be updated. • They have a defined format. • Array of three string fields: • ["name:" , "dataType:", "value:“]
- 21. Profile Connector & custom Attributes • Use scripts to retrieve and manipulate these values • Accessing an existing Attribute value: • Creating a new Attribute:
- 22. Profile Connector & custom Attributes • TDI Debugger is a great tool to check and manipulate your data – even during runtime • Richtext Attributes are not “Update aware”, you need to discover and trigger updates based on some logic in your AssemblyLine.
- 23. Photo Connector • This Connector is not “update aware“ • If you want to run your AssemblyLine on a scheduled basis detect the necessary updates in your logic. • How to do that ? • I’ll show you in a moment • http://tdiblog.anderls.com/2015/01/handling- photos-for-ibm-connections.html
- 24. Photo Connector • As Link Criteria you can specify the profile uid or key • To update a user photo you need to feed in the attributes: • uid – Profile uid • image – byte array containing the photo
- 25. Photo Connector • How to get the byte array ? • The good news - since TDI is Java based you can do anything you want • Based on your data source this can be easy or may need some tweaking.. • LDAP or Web Service – easy just grab the attribute • Domino Database – extract the file to a local disk • SAP BAPI – a nightmare – let me know if you need that
- 26. Demo
- 27. How to deploy and run your solution • Follow the same method IBM is using to run their standard TDI Solutions • Create a separate .bat or .sh to run your solution based on a existing one. • Modify the necessary parts: • LOCK_FILE • Remove the parts handling the Return code from TDI (RC) - unless you use it in your solution • Modify the code to launch the TDI AssemblyLine ${TDIPATH}/ibmdisrv -s . -c <your project>.xml –r <your AssemblyLine> • The command to clear the lockfile • Create a .bat or .sh to remove your lockfile • Add these files to your release folder
- 28. How to deploy and run your solution • Copy the following files to your release folder: • Your <TDI_Project>.xml • Your <TDI_Project>.properties (only if you created your own property store) • both are available in your TDI_workspace/Projectname/Runtime folder • Copy all files in the release folder to your Connections TDI Server Solution Directory • Test the solution and schedule execution
- 29. Tips • Understand the IBM Connections default synchronization • Avoid updating the same Info from different sources • The TDI Connectors for Connections offer different modes • Have you ever thought about publishing Data from Connections to other systems ? • Define a synchronization Flow that fits your needs • Often I start with a ProfileConnector as Data Feed
- 30. Tips • Use logging – task.logmsg() • Write your own log files • Define Error handling in the “on Error” Hooks • Use try – catch blocks in your scripts • Utilize a Property Store
- 31. Tips • Define the Attributes you want to read / write in the Connectors Attribute Mapping • Or even better use external Attribute Mappings • Use meaningful and unique names for your Attributes that help you to identify the source
- 32. Thank you ! • Go and make your users happy ! • Questions, comments, ideas, … are always welcome • just right now • or reach out to me….
- 33. THE SSL Challenge • If any of the involved systems requires a SSL connection per default TDI will run into an error. • TDI can handle SSL – you just need to configure keystores and import the certificates • To make it easy – you can have multiple keystores in TDI.
- 34. THE SSL Challenge • Create a new keystore using the IBM Key Management utility – or use your existing one
- 35. THE SSL Challenge • Import all required Server Certificates including the complete certificate chain • Add the following lines to your solution.properties file • As alternative you also can define multiple independent keystores
- 36. Links and resources • http://www.slideshare.net/curiousmitch/sho w304 • http://de.slideshare.net/pgodby/ic50-l02- profilescustomization • http://www.slideshare.net/palmke/show301- make-your-ibm-connections-deployment- your-own-customize-it-30628456 • https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/ documentation/connectionstdi/