Configuring a Path for Synchronisation

!--- Important Note ---!

This topic contains instructions that are only applicable to a version that is hosted by MLS. Should you be wanting to integrate Active Directory into a library system that is installed locally within your organisation, see the installation documentation.

When configuring a path, the system will then use the designated Organisational Unit (OU) during synchronisation. This is useful in situations where the Active Directory is very large or contains users for multiple organisations. As the Active Directory matching process depends on the forename and surname of the users, the larger the Active Directory the less accurate the matching will be due to a higher chance of identical names.

The path field no longer users a Distinguished Name (DN) format.

The instructions in this topic explain how to enter an OU for synchronisation.

·During the configuration stage the following box will be open.

·The Path field is the last text box. In here, the name of the OU to query can be entered in a UNC type format. Consider the example of the following structure in Active Directory below.

In this instance, the goal is going to be to set the Sales OU as the directory to query.

·The Sales OU belongs to the London container, which in turn belongs to the CompanyUsers OU. The CompanyUsers OU belongs in the Contoso.com domain. So the first part to enter is the first OU under the domain which is CompanyUsers.

If the goal was to query only the CompanyUsers OU then the settings would be saved at this point. In this example however, if this were left then all containers under the CompanyUsers would be queried, ones that are not required in this instance such as Managers and Helpdesk.

·The OU directly under CompanyUsers is London. This is entered into the path field with a backslash followed by the name of the next OU.

·There is now only one more OU to specify, the Sales OU which is stored under the London OU. Therefore, \Sales is added to the path.

·Once the path has been entered, the settings can then be saved.

Note that often it is necessary to enter a user into the username field that is stored in the location entered into the path. In the example above this would mean having the 'administrator' user in the Sales OU.