ConnectorXpress - Explaining Adding Provisioning Server versus Adding Connector Server

Products

• CA Identity Suite
• CA Identity Manager
• CA Identity Governance

Issue/Introduction

What is the difference between the Add Provisioning Server and the Add Connector Server in ConnectorXpress and when should each portion be used in the right-panel?

Environment

All versions

Resolution

In an implementation where there is no Identity Manager and Provisioning and there is only Identity Governance communicating directly with a Java Connector Server then you would use the Add Connector Server portion in ConnectorXpress to make a direct connection to the Java Connector Server. This is the only type of implementation where a direct connection to a Connector Server should be used.

In implementations where there is a Provisioning Server that is communication with the Java Connector Server then all operations in ConnectorXpress should be done with a connection to the Provisioning Server and not with a connection directly to a Connector Server. This is because the Provisioning Server will need to ensure that necessary updates are made to its Provisioning Repository and the Provisioning Server will also send the updates to all the Connectors Servers it needs to.

If you make connections and perform operations directly against a Connector Server when there is a Provisioning Server involved it can cause problems and unexpected behaviors as there can be conflicts in data stored within the Connector Server layer and the data stored within the Provisioning Server and its Provisioning Repository.