Setting Manager Attribute from Text-File MA

The manager attribute for user objects in FIM is a reference attribute, which means it refers to another user object that is in the sync engine. Instead of being a string type attribute such as displayName, the manager attribute must be assigned correctly so that the sync engine can build the reference to the manager object.

 

Sample Text File for User Input

Using a tab delimited text file for this scenario.


 

Setting up Text File Management Agent

  • Create a new management agent in FIM for the Adatum Users Text File Input

  • Choose the template file that will be used to define the attributes for the input data

  • Select the options for delimited text format
    • In this scenario we are using the top row for the attributes
    • The file is tab delimited
    • No text qualifier

  • Configure the Attributes

     

  • Verify the attributes in the input text file show correctly

     

  • Edit the manager attribute to be a reference attribute
    • Select the manager attribute

  • Click Edit

  • Change the Type to Reference (DN)

  • Click OK

 

  • Set the Anchor value to be the EmployeeID

  • Click Next
  • On the Map Object type, ensure it is mapped to a person object
  • Verify the attributes for the Object Type

 

 

  • Configure the partitions
  • Configure Connector Filter – in this scenario no filtering is being done

  • Configure Join and Projection Rules
    • Configure a projection rule to project the person object into the metaverse

  • Configure Direct Import Flows for the attributes in the text file:
    • displayName
    • firstName
    • sn
    • employeeID
    • company
    • employeeStatus
    • manager

  • Click Next
  • Configure Deprovisioning
  • Configure Extensions

 

Set-up the Data Input File to include the manager attribute value

In the previous step, we specified the manager attribute type as a reference attribute. In order to build the reference, the value that we need to give to the manager attribute in the input data is the DN or Anchor attribute value for the manager.

  • In the data source text file, set the manager attribute

For this scenario, Britta Simon is the manager of this team.

  • Populate the user objects' manager attribute value with Britta Simon's employeeID
    • We use the employeeID value for Britta Simon for the manager attribute because we previously set the employeeID to be the anchor attribute for the user objects

  • Save the text file

 

Run the Import and Synchronization on the Text File MA

Now that the text file has been populated with the manager attribute value, we can run the import and synchronization to verify the user objects' data is correct

  • Run Full Import (Stage Only) on the text file MA
  • Run Full Synchronization on the text file MA
  • Do a Metaverse Search to verify the users correctly appear in the metaverse

  • Click on one of the user objects
  • Review the manager attribute to verify it is set correctly
  • Being a reference attribute, it should also appear as link to the user object that is set as a manager

  • The manager attribute has successfully been set to refer to Britta Simon