Table of Contents

Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 provides robust integration capabilities with Active Directory environments, enabling comprehensive identity synchronization, management, and governance across single and multi-forest deployments.

Overview

MIM 2016 Active Directory integration supports:

  • Single and Multi-Forest Synchronization
  • Cross-Forest Identity Management
  • Password Synchronization
  • Group Management and Nesting
  • Organizational Unit (OU) Management
  • Exchange Attribute Synchronization
  • Custom Schema Extensions

Active Directory Management Agent Configuration

1. Initial Setup

The Active Directory Management Agent (ADMA) is the primary component for AD integration.

Prerequisites:

  • Domain-joined MIM Sync Service
  • Appropriate service account permissions
  • Network connectivity to target domain controllers
  • Proper DNS resolution

Service Account Requirements:

  • Minimum: Read permissions on target OUs
  • Full Sync: Replicating Directory Changes permissions
  • Password Sync: Additional replication permissions
  • Exchange: Exchange View-Only Administrator (if applicable)

2. Management Agent Creation

  1. Open Synchronization Service Manager
  2. Create Management Agent → Active Directory Domain Services
  3. Configure Connection Settings:
    • Forest name (FQDN)
    • User name (service account)
    • Password
    • Domain controller selection

3. Container Configuration

Define which containers (OUs) to include in synchronization:

Example Container Configuration:
- CN=Users,DC=contoso,DC=com
- OU=Employees,DC=contoso,DC=com
- OU=Contractors,DC=contoso,DC=com
- OU=Service Accounts,DC=contoso,DC=com

Best Practices:

  • Use specific OUs rather than entire domains
  • Exclude system containers unless required
  • Consider security implications of synchronized data

Object Type Configuration

1. User Objects

Standard Attributes:

  • sAMAccountName: Windows logon name
  • userPrincipalName: Email-style logon name
  • displayName: Full display name
  • mail: Email address
  • department: Department information
  • manager: Manager relationship

Extended Attributes:

  • employeeID: Unique employee identifier
  • extensionAttribute1-15: Custom business attributes
  • msExchMailboxGuid: Exchange mailbox identifier

2. Group Objects

Group Types:

  • Security Groups: Access control
  • Distribution Groups: Email distribution
  • Universal Groups: Cross-domain access
  • Domain Local: Single domain access

Group Scope Considerations:

  • Global groups for users within same domain
  • Universal groups for cross-domain scenarios
  • Domain Local for resource access

3. Contact Objects

Used for external email addresses and partner organizations:

  • mail: External email address
  • displayName: Contact display name
  • company: External organization

Attribute Flow Configuration

1. Direct Attribute Flow

Simple one-to-one attribute mapping:

Source Attribute → Destination Attribute
givenName → givenName
sn → sn
mail → mail
department → department

2. Advanced Attribute Flow

Using rule extensions for complex transformations:

Example: UPN Generation

Flow Rule: Generate-UPN
Type: Import
Source: sAMAccountName + domain suffix
Destination: userPrincipalName

Example: Display Name Formatting

Flow Rule: Format-DisplayName
Type: Import
Source: givenName + sn
Destination: displayName
Logic: "LastName, FirstName"

3. Multi-Valued Attribute Handling

Managing attributes with multiple values:

ProxyAddresses Example:

  • Primary SMTP address
  • Secondary email aliases
  • Legacy Exchange addresses

Multi-Forest Scenarios

1. Forest Trust Relationships

Requirements:

  • Bidirectional trust between forests
  • Proper DNS resolution
  • Cross-forest authentication

Configuration Steps:

  1. Establish forest trust
  2. Create separate Management Agents per forest
  3. Configure cross-forest attribute flow
  4. Implement forest-specific business rules

2. Resource Forest Deployment

Common in Exchange resource forest scenarios:

Account Forest: Contains user accounts Resource Forest: Contains Exchange mailboxes

Synchronization Flow:

  1. Users created in account forest
  2. Disabled users created in resource forest
  3. Security principals linked between forests
  4. Exchange attributes flow to resource forest

3. Cross-Forest GAL Synchronization

Global Address List synchronization between forests:

  1. Export users as contacts in target forest
  2. Maintain email routing information
  3. Synchronize distribution groups as needed
  4. Handle conflicts between forests

Security Configuration

1. Service Account Management

Account Separation:

  • Separate accounts per forest
  • Minimal required permissions
  • Regular password rotation
  • Monitoring and auditing

Permission Requirements:

Base Permissions:
- Read all properties
- Read permissions

Password Sync Permissions:
- Replicating Directory Changes
- Replicating Directory Changes All

Exchange Permissions:
- Exchange View-Only Administrator
- Read Exchange attributes

2. Secure LDAP Configuration

LDAPS Implementation:

  • Certificate-based authentication
  • Encrypted communication
  • Certificate validation
  • Fallback configuration

3. Filtering and Scoping

Security Filtering:

  • Exclude administrative accounts
  • Filter by group membership
  • Organizational unit restrictions
  • Attribute-based filtering

Example Filter:

Exclude system accounts:
(!sAMAccountName=krbtgt)
(!sAMAccountName=*$)
(!userAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)

Password Synchronization

1. Password Sync Configuration

Prerequisites:

  • Password Sync Agent installation
  • Appropriate permissions
  • Network connectivity
  • Registry configuration

Configuration Steps:

  1. Install Password Change Notification Service
  2. Configure domain controller settings
  3. Set up filtering rules
  4. Test password synchronization

2. Password History Synchronization

Managing password history across systems:

  • Enforce consistent password policies
  • Synchronize password history
  • Handle policy conflicts
  • Audit password changes

3. Password Reset Integration

Coordinating password resets:

  • Self-service password reset
  • Administrative password reset
  • Temporary password handling
  • Password expiration synchronization

Exchange Integration

1. Exchange Attribute Synchronization

Mailbox Attributes:

  • mailNickname: Exchange alias
  • proxyAddresses: Email addresses
  • msExchMailboxGuid: Unique mailbox ID
  • msExchRecipientTypeDetails: Recipient type

2. Distribution Group Management

Synchronization Scenarios:

  • Security groups to distribution groups
  • Distribution group membership
  • Dynamic distribution groups
  • Mail-enabled security groups

3. Exchange Online Hybrid

Considerations for Office 365:

  • Azure AD Connect coordination
  • Hybrid configuration
  • Attribute precedence
  • Conflict resolution

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. Connection Problems

Symptoms: Management Agent connection failures Causes:

  • Network connectivity issues
  • DNS resolution problems
  • Authentication failures
  • Firewall restrictions

Resolution Steps:

  1. Verify network connectivity
  2. Test DNS resolution
  3. Validate service account credentials
  4. Check firewall rules

2. Synchronization Errors

Common Error Types:

  • referential-integrity-violation
  • attribute-value-must-be-unique
  • insufficient-access-rights
  • object-class-violation

Diagnostic Steps:

  1. Review synchronization statistics
  2. Analyze connector space objects
  3. Check metaverse objects
  4. Validate attribute flow rules

3. Performance Issues

Symptoms: Slow synchronization runs Optimization Strategies:

  • Implement proper filtering
  • Optimize LDAP queries
  • Use incremental synchronization
  • Configure connection pooling

Monitoring and Maintenance

1. Synchronization Monitoring

Key Metrics:

  • Import/Export object counts
  • Error statistics
  • Run duration
  • Performance counters

Monitoring Tools:

  • Synchronization Service Manager
  • Event logs
  • Performance Monitor
  • Custom scripts

2. Health Checks

Regular Validation:

  • Connection health
  • Attribute flow accuracy
  • Object consistency
  • Permission validation

3. Backup and Recovery

Critical Components:

  • Management Agent configuration
  • Metaverse schema
  • Run profiles
  • Service configuration

Recovery Procedures:

  • Configuration export/import
  • Database restoration
  • Service account recovery
  • Re-initialization procedures

Performance Optimization

1. Connection Configuration

Optimal Settings:

  • Connection pooling enabled
  • Appropriate timeout values
  • Load balancing across DCs
  • Regional DC selection

2. Synchronization Tuning

Best Practices:

  • Implement proper filtering
  • Use incremental sync when possible
  • Optimize batch sizes
  • Schedule sync windows appropriately

3. Resource Management

System Resources:

  • Adequate memory allocation
  • Sufficient disk space
  • Network bandwidth planning
  • CPU utilization monitoring

Best Practices

1. Design Principles

  • Plan for Growth: Design scalable solutions
  • Security First: Implement least privilege access
  • Document Everything: Maintain comprehensive documentation
  • Test Thoroughly: Validate all changes in development

2. Operational Excellence

  • Regular Monitoring: Implement proactive monitoring
  • Change Management: Follow controlled change processes
  • Disaster Recovery: Plan for various failure scenarios
  • Performance Baselines: Establish and monitor baselines

3. Maintenance Procedures

  • Regular Updates: Keep systems current
  • Credential Rotation: Rotate service account passwords
  • Configuration Backup: Regular configuration exports
  • Health Checks: Scheduled validation procedures

Conclusion

Successful Active Directory integration with MIM 2016 requires careful planning, proper configuration, and ongoing maintenance. By following the guidelines and best practices outlined in this document, organizations can achieve reliable, secure, and performant identity synchronization across their Active Directory environments.

Edit this page