7.0

Important Concepts Related to Active Directory
Several concepts related to Active Directory are integral to understanding how Directories Management
integrates with your Active Directory environments.
Connector
The connector, a component of the service, performs the following functions.
n
Syncs user and group data between Active Directory and the service.
n
When being used as an identity provider, authenticates users to the service.
The connector is the default identity provider. For the authentication methods the connector supports,
see VMware Identity Manager Administration. You can also use third-party identity providers that
support the SAML 2.0 protocol. Use a third-party identity provider for an authentication type the
connector does not support or for an authentication type the connector does support, if the third-party
identity provider is preferable based on your enterprise security policy.
Note Even if you use third-party identity providers, you must configure the connector to sync user
and group data.
Directory
The Directories Management service has its own concept of a directory, which uses Active Directory
attributes and parameters to define users and groups. You create one or more directories and then sync
those directories with your Active Directory deployment. You can create the following directory types in
the service.
n
Active Directory over LDAP. Create this directory type if you plan to connect to a single Active
Directory domain environment. For the Active Directory over LDAP directory type, the connector
binds to Active Directory using simple bind authentication.
n
Active Directory, Integrated Windows Authentication. Create this directory type if you plan to connect
to a multi-domain or multi-forest Active Directory environment. The connector binds to Active
Directory using Integrated Windows Authentication.
The type and number of directories that you create varies depending on your Active Directory
environment, such as single domain or multi-domain, and on the type of trust used between domains. In
most environments, you create one directory.
The service does not have direct access to Active Directory. Only the connector has direct access to
Active Directory. Therefore, you associate each directory created in the service with a connector instance.
Worker
When you associate a directory with a connector instance, the connector creates a partition for the
associated directory called a worker. A connector instance can have multiple workers associated with it.
Each worker acts as an identity provider. You define and configure authentication methods per worker.
Configuring vRealize Automation
VMware, Inc. 82