Directory Manager is finally here!
Our customers told us that while Directory Update was great for some types of
information, they wanted a different interface that allowed a designated user
(such as a receptionist or Human Resources department) to be able to update user
information in the Active Directory other user's information. There was just
some data they did not want their user's to update.
The answer is Directory Manager; Directory Manager is a simple, web-based
application that allows a designated user to update other user's information in
Active Directory through a easy to use interface. Directory Manager is US$469
and is licensed on a per-domain model (not administrator-by-administrator or
based on the total number of users.) This makes Directory Manager affordable for
all sizes of organizations. Visit the
Directory Manager purchasing page
for more information. From the main screen of Directory Manager, the user can
search for other user's in the Active Directory using a number of different
attributes.
When the user finds the user they want to update, a simple mouse brings up the
interface to edit the user's information. The administrator can ensure that the
designated user enters accurate information by changing text boxes to drop-down
lists that contain only valid information. The telephone number format can be
validated using regular expressions.
How can you get started?
Download the evaluation
version (good for 10 days) and install. If you decide you like Directory
Manager, you can purchase the software and activate it with the license key we
provide.
Prerequisites / Requirements
Directory Update has some very specific server requirements in order to work
properly. This is because we use the Microsoft .NET Framework v2.0 libraries and
specific ASP.NET functions of Internet Information Server. Here are the server
requirements.
- Windows 2003 (Standard or Enterprise Edition) with SP1 or SP2
- Internet Information Server with the Web Server installed, ASP.NET
enabled, and IIS must be in IIS 6.0 mode (the default)
- Install the Microsoft .NET Framework v2.0 (you can find a link to this
on our Downloads
page.)
- Ensure that ASP.NET v2.0.50727 is allowed in the IIS Web Service
Extensions (found in IIS Manager)
- Create a service account that has permissions to update the users that
will be updated. This is most easily accomplished by putting the service
account in the Account Operators group.
- Create a global or universal security group called Directory Update
Managers; put any users that will use Directory Manager in this group.
Customizing Directory Manager
Full information on customizing Directory Manager will be in the
documentation. However, is a summary of the configuration files. There are three
basic configuration files (XML files) that are found in the .\Settings folder.
Here are the basic customization files and what they are used for.
|
File name |
Purpose |
|
AppSettings.xml |
AppSettings.xml is the configuration for the
overall application. In this file, you will logon form settings,
customize the logo, configure labels for buttons (if you are localizing
or changing the language of the interface), help links, validation
messages, and available search filters. |
|
DirectorySettings.xml |
DirectorySettings.xml is the master configuration
file for the screen that the Directory
Manager user sees when he or she is updating a user. From
here you can configure which fields/attributes are visible, editable,
drop-down lists, values for drop-down lists, text boxes, and field
labels. Here is also where you configure section notes. |
|
AddressSettings.xml |
AddressSettings.xml allows you to specify a list of
address (mailing address) data that will be automatically filled when
the user selects an office, company, or department name. Each section of
data in the AddressSettings.xml file must match a valid choice in the
DirectorySettings.xml file. |
|
Style.css |
Style.css is the application’s style sheet. It can
be found in the \Styles folder of the DirectoryManager folder. From here
you can change the color scheme that
Directory Manager uses. We recommend that only advanced users
try to modify this file. |
We
strongly recommend an editor like Notepad++; Notepad++ is a SourceForge open
source project and can be downloaded at
http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm. The software is free but
works as well as any low-cost commercial editor.
|
