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Create a Data Source

You can create Synchronize jobs to synchronize data across different providers. As a prerequisite, you must create data sources for those providers.

Data sources are primarily used in Synchronize jobs, but you can also use them in queries to search for directory objects and in queries for group membership update.

What do you want to do?

  • Create a Data Source for MS Excel
  • Create a Data Source for MS Access
  • Create a Data Source for Oracle
  • Create a Data Source for SQL Server
  • Create a Data Source for a Text/CSV File
  • Create a Data Source for ODBC
  • Create a Data Source for SCIM

Create a Data Source for MS Excel​

Create a data source for an Excel file to establish a connection before using it as a source or destination in Synchronize jobs, or in queries. Directory Manager enables you to connect to an Excel file that is placed on a local server or on OneDrive.

Synchronize supports Microsoft Excel (*.xls | xlsx) to serve as both a source and destination provider. Use it as destination in a Synchronize job to export data from a source to a new Excel worksheet. The schema of the new Excel worksheet is automatically built according to fields that you select from the source to map to the destination.

The Directory Manager Installer installs the required components for the MS Excel provider while installing Directory Manager. However, if you experience any issue, make sure the following are installed on the Directory Manager server:

The Excel file for creating a data source can be placed on a local server or OneDrive. Follow the steps in the respective section to create a data source.

  • When the Excel File is Located on a Local Server
  • When the Excel file is located on OneDrive

When the Excel File is Located on a Local Server​

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select Microsoft Excel.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – From the File Server drop-down list, select Local Server.

Step 6 – In the File Path box, provide the path to the MS Excel file you want to create the data source for. This path should be complete with the file name and extension. For example:
D:\Employee Records\Sheets\EmployeeMedical Records.xlsx

NOTE: The MS Excel file must be placed either on the machine that Data service is installed on, or a location that Data service can access.

Step 7 – In case the file is placed on a network path, enter the network domain or hostname in the Domain/Hostname box.

Step 8 – In the User Account and Password boxes, enter the username and password of an account to access the file on the network path.

Step 9 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the Excel tab of the Data Sources page.

When the Excel file is located on OneDrive​

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select Microsoft Excel.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – From the File Server drop-down list, select OneDrive.

Step 6 – In the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes, enter the username and password of a service account to access the file on OneDrive.

Step 7 – In the Registered Application ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the application ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

NOTE: The registered app must have the following API permissions to access files on OneDrive:

API permissions

Step 8 – In the Registered Tenant ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the tenant ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

Step 9 – Enter the name of the file in the File Name box. This name should be complete with the file extension, for example, Employee Contact Details.xlsx

Step 10 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the Excel tab of the Data Sources page.

Create a Data Source for MS Access​

Create a data source for an Access database to establish a connection before using it as a source or destination in Synchronize jobs, or in queries. Directory Manager enables you to connect to an Access file that is placed on a local server or on OneDrive.

Synchronize supports Microsoft Access (.mdb | .accdb) to serve as both a source and destination provider.

The MS Access provider supports automatic schema detection. For Synchronize to communicate with this provider, data connectivity components must be installed on the Directory Manager server. These components can be found at Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable.

The Access file for creating a data source can be placed on a local server or OneDrive. Follow the steps in the respective section to create a data source.

  • When the Access File is Located on a Local Server
  • When the Access File is Located on OneDrive

When the Access File is Located on a Local Server​

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select Microsoft Access.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – From the File Server drop-down list, select Local Server.

Step 6 – In the File Path box, provide the path to the MS Access database you want to create the data source for. This path should be complete with the file name and extension. For example:
D:\Employee Records\Databases\Employee Medical Records.accdb

NOTE: The Access database must be located either on the machine that Data service is installed on, or a location that Data service can access.

Step 7 – If the database file is password protected, enter the password in the File Password box.

Step 8 – In case the file is placed on a network path, enter the network domain or hostname in the Domain/Hostname box.

Step 9 – In the User Account and Password boxes, enter the username and password of an account to access the file on the network path.

Step 10 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the Access tab of the Data Sources page.

When the Access File is Located on OneDrive​

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select Microsoft Access.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – From the File Server drop-down list, select OneDrive.

Step 6 – In the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes, enter the username and password of a service account to access the file on OneDrive.

Step 7 – If the database file is password protected, enter the password in the File Password box.

Step 8 – In the Registered Application ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the application ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

NOTE: The registered app must have the following API permissions to access files on OneDrive:

API permissions

Step 9 – In the Registered Tenant ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the tenant ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

Step 10 – Enter the name of the file in the File Name box. This name should be complete with the file extension, for example, Employee Medical Records.accdb.

Step 11 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the Access tab of the Data Sources page.

Create a Data Source for Oracle​

You can create a data source for an Oracle server or a specific database on a server. This data source can be used in queries and as source and destination provider in Synchronize jobs. This provider supports dynamic schema detection.

NOTE: Oracle client must be installed to use this provider. Make sure you reboot your computer after installing the Oracle client.

Follow the steps to create a data source.

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select Oracle.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – In the Oracle Server or Service Name box, enter the name of the Oracle service or the server you want to create the data source for.

Step 6 – In the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes, provide the username and password of a service account to connect to the Oracle server.
When using this data source in a Synchronize job, the user will be able to select the databases that are accessible with these credentials.

Step 7 – In the Protocol box, specify the protocol to use for connecting to the database(s) on the Oracle server. For example, TCP or TCP/IP.

Step 8 – In the HostName box, enter the name of the machine that hosts the Oracle server.

Step 9 – In the Port Number box, enter the port configured for the Oracle server. This port is used to communicate with the oracle server.

Step 10 – In the Database or Schema (optional) box, specify the name of the database you want to create the data source for. You may also leave this field blank. In that case, all databases on the specified server will be displayed to the user in a Synchronize job. The user can select a database as needed.

Step 11 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the Oracle tab of the Data Sources page.

Create a Data Source for SQL Server​

Directory Manager enables you to create a data source for an SQL database. This data source can be used in queries and as source and destination in Synchronize jobs. This provider supports dynamic schema detection.

Follow the steps to create a data source.

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select SQL Server.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – The SQL database for which you want to create a data source resides on an SQL server. Enter the name or IP address of this SQL server in the SQL Server Name box.

Step 6 – By default, SQL authentication is used as an authentication mode to connect to the SQL server. In this case, the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes are enabled. Enter the username and password of an SQL server account to connect to the SQL server in the respective boxes.

Step 7 – To use Windows authentication to connect to the SQL server using a Windows account, select the Windows Authentication check box. With Windows authentication, users are already logged onto Windows and do not have to log on separately to SQL Server.

Step 8 – In the SQL Server Database Name box, specify the SQL database to create a data source for.

Step 9 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the MS SQL Server tab of the Data Sources page.

Create a Data Source for a Text/CSV File​

You can create a data source for a comma-separated values (.csv) file or a text (.txt) file. You must also specify the delimiter used in the file to separate values.

This data source can be used in queries and only as a source in Synchronize jobs.

Directory Manager enables you to connect to a text file that is placed on a local server or on OneDrive. Follow the steps in the respective section to create a data source.

  • When the Text File is Located on a Local Server
  • When the Text File is Located on OneDrive

When the Text File is Located on a Local Server​

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select Text/CSV.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – From the File Server drop-down list, select Local Server.

Step 6 – In the File Path box, provide the path to the text file you want to create the data source for. This path should be complete with the file name and extension. For example:
D:\Employee Records\Sheets\Employee Medical Records.csv

NOTE: The text file must be placed either on the machine that Data service is installed on, or a location that Data service can access.

Step 7 – In the Delimiter box, specify the character that is used to separate values in the file. You can also enter a space as a character.

Step 8 – In case the file is placed on a network path, enter the network domain or hostname in the Domain/Hostname box.

Step 9 – In the User Account and Password boxes, enter the username and password of an account to access the file on the network path.

Step 10 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the Text/CSV tab of the Data Sources page.

When the Text File is Located on OneDrive​

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select Text/CSV.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – From the File Server drop-down list, select OneDrive.

Step 6 – In the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes, enter the username and password of a service account to access the file on OneDrive.

Step 7 – In the Delimiter box, specify the character that is used to separate values in the file. You can also enter a space as a character.

Step 8 – In the Registered Application ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the application ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

NOTE: The registered app must have the following API permissions to access files on OneDrive:

API permissions

Step 9 – In the Registered Tenant ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the tenant ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.

Step 10 – Enter the name of the file in the File Name box. This name should be complete with the file extension, for example, “Employee Contact Details.csv”.

Step 11 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the Text/CSV tab of the Data Sources page.

Create a Data Source for ODBC​

Use an ODBC data source to connect to an ODBC-compatible provider, such as databases, directories, or even files. Examples include SQL server, MS Access files, and Oracle.

A separate data source should be created for each ODBC-compatible file, database, or directory you want to use in queries or as source/destination in Synchronize jobs.

Follow the steps to create a data source.

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select ODBC.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – Enter the DSN name in the DSN box. Directory Manager uses this name to request a connection to the ODBC data source. Note the following:

  • For a system DSN, simply provide the name of the DSN.
  • For a file DSN, provide the file path with file name and extension.

Step 6 – Select the System DSN or File DSN option button to specify the DSN type to use for connecting to the data source.

Step 7 – In case the data source is password protected, provide a username and password in the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes to access it.
Depending on the data source, you may not necessarily have to provide both a username and password. For example, an MS Access database may need a password only while an SQL server may require both username and password.

Step 8 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the ODBC tab of the Data Sources page.

Create a Data Source for SCIM​

Directory Manager supports identity providers, namely Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, and Google Workspace, but it does not support Slack, AWS, JumpCloud, and GitHub. You can create a SCIM-based data source for these and other providers to use them in queries and as source/destinations in Synchronize jobs. As a prerequisite, the provider must support SCIM and expose an endpoint URL that Directory Manager can consume.

Follow the steps to create a data source.

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page is displayed.

Step 3 – In the Data Source Type drop-down list, select a provider type to create a data source for. This list displays the supported providers. Select SCIM.

Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.

Step 5 – In the SCIM Endpoint box, enter the SCIM endpoint URL exposed by the provider for which you want to create a data source.

Step 6 – In the Bearer Token box, enter the authentication token you generated in the provider.

Step 7 – Click Create Data Source.
The data source is available on the SCIM tab of the Data Sources page.

Manage a Data Source

Directory Manager enables you to create data sources for various data providers. You can also update and delete these data sources.

Search a Data Source for a Specific Provider​

You can search for a data source built on a particular provider by its name.

Follow the steps to search a data source.

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click the tab for a provider to search for a data source built on it.

Step 3 – Enter a search string in the search box and press Enter. Data sources that contain the string in their names are displayed.

Update a Data Source​

You can update the details provided for a data source, such as its display name, the service account credentials to connect to it, and any other info you provided while creating it.

Follow the steps to update the details for a data source.

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click the tab for the provider the data source is built on.

Step 3 – Click Edit for a data source. The Update Data Source page is displayed, that differs by provider. Refer to the steps for creating the respective data source in the Create a Data Source topic to modify the info.

Step 4 – Click Update Data Source.

Delete a Data Source​

You can delete a data source to prevent users from using it as source and destination in Synchronize jobs.

NOTE: Deleting a data source corrupts all Synchronize jobs, membership queries, and search queries using that data source.

Follow the steps to delete a data source.

Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.

Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click the tab for the provider for which you want to delete a data source.

Step 3 – Click Delete for a data source to delete it.

Data Sources

You can create data sources in Directory Manager for the following providers, which include directories, databases, and files:

  • MS Excel
  • MS Access
  • Oracle
  • SQL Server
  • Text/CSV (can only be used as a source in a Synchronize job)
  • ODBC
  • SCIM

Where are Data Sources Used?​

Data sources are used in the Directory Manager portal in the following ways:

As source and destination in Synchronize jobs

Synchronize jobs enable you to provision objects, deprovision objects, and sync data from one data source to another. See the Synchronize topic for additional information.

As external data source for query-based searches

A Query Designer is used to perform targeted searches in the directory. While creating a search query, you can combine a data source with the directory to search for specific objects. See the Query Based Advanced Search topic for additional information.

As external data source for membership queries

A Query Designer enables you to specify membership queries for Smart Groups and Dynasties. When you specify a data source in the Query Designer, Directory Manager reads records from it and fetches similar objects from the directory to add to a group's membership. See the Query Designer - Database tab topic for additional information.

As external data source for query-based searches

Another Query Designer is used to perform targeted searches in the directory. While creating a search query, you can combine a data source with the directory to search for specific objects. See the Query Based Advanced Search topic for additional information.