Password management.
Dealing with multiple passwords and password-associated problems costs businesses money and presents security risks. For security reasons, passwords are usually stored in hashed form. Because different systems use different hashing algorithms, the MIIS metadirectory can't synchronize password attributes directly.
Products such as M-Tech Information Technology's P-Synch can extend the MIIS metadirectory's functionality to include password-attribute management. P-Synch changes all a user's passwords to the same new value. The MIIS metadirectory can then generate new logon IDs and send passwords to users through email without creating a security risk.
Cross-platform integration.
Many companies have diverse networks that include platforms that MIIS doesn't support, such as mainframes or IBM WebSphere. Third-party solutions, such as OpenNetwork Technologies' Universal Identity Platform (Universal IdP) and Oblix COREid, let you use the MIIS identity infrastructure for identity management with non-Microsoft environments.
Universal IdP provides Web-based single sign-on (SSO). You can choose between a Microsoft .NET and Java-based version of Universal IdP—both versions provide role-based delegated administration of internal and external user accounts, identity profiles, and security and workflow policies across various platforms. The Universal Identity Manager (Universal IM) feature fills in some areas in which MIIS is weak, such as Web-based self-service. You can also use Universal IM for Web-based remote administration of MIIS, AD, and other Windows Server System products, such as Exchange.
Other third-party add-ons are task-specific. For example, Avatier's Account Terminator integrates with MIIS and provides a Web-based interface for enabling, disabling, and deleting user accounts across multiple platforms.
Enterprise-level scalability.
Microsoft's identity products—MIIS, AD, and ADAM—do a good job of providing identity management at the attribute level. These products propagate selected attributes or pieces of information, such as a user's email address or Social Security number, across multiple directories and ensure that the information is accurate based on the authoritative data source for that attribute. Third-party products such as Universal IdP and COREid extend this functionality by improving security and access control and providing easier centralized administration for enterprise implementations.
COREid extends MIIS by providing better scalability to large enterprise environments and high-volume extranets. The product, which includes real-time auditing and reporting, Web-based self service, and SSO, provides tight control over identity administration and provisioning through business rules that you can apply to internal and external users. COREid works directly with the MIIS metaverse to provision MIIS actively (rather than indirectly through AD), so you don't need to extend the AD schema to create permissions or settings for specific resources.
Oblix SHAREid is a standalone multiprotocol identity server that you can securely integrate with other trusted systems. You can use SHAREid in conjunction with COREid and the MIIS identity-management infrastructure to build an end-to-end system that lets MIIS provide identity management and user access across different organizations for business-to-business applications. Thus, you can give business partners, suppliers, and customers an SSO experience through a friendly Web interface.
Confronting Challenges
The evolution of MMS products into MIIS signals Redmond's intent to get serious about identity management. However, challenges remain in the pursuit of a cross-platform, enterprisewide solution to identity-related problems. Third-party products can meet some of these challenges by working with MIIS to extend its management capabilities, security, and ability to control identities for internal and external users across Microsoft and non-Microsoft platforms. You can download a 180-day evaluation copy of MIIS 2003, Enterprise Edition at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=e2cf0ece-9f0d-4d73-bdd7-a32091ab3f30&displaylang=en.
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