Namescape rDirectory Review

What if you have 10,000 Active Directory User accounts and you need to query on each one of those accounts? Active Directory users and computers provides no out of the box solution for performing such a task. Yes, you can use LDAP queries, powershell and VBScripts but that can be very limiting and requires advanced skills. Besides, you may be short on staff and have no resources to program that time consuming script. This is where Namescape’s rDirectory can help. rDirectory allows you to create web based applications that utilizes the information in AD with no programming needed. In this review I’ll describe the installation process, creating an AD app and the features of rDirectory.

What type of application can you create with rDirectory?

• Enterprise Resource Directory – employee directory, skills search, organization navigation
• Employee self service – password reset, group self subscription, edit personal info
• Enterprise and departmental phonebooks
• Account Creation – this can be locked down to certain personnel
• Helpdesk tools such as password and account management
• Group Subscriptions
• and much more

Take advantage of Namescap’s offer to download a free trail of rDirectory

Installation

rDirectory is a simple installation. If you have the system requirements installed, rDirectory can be installed in less than 2 minutes. I’ve been very impressed with Namescape’s documentation. Their documentation includes a quick install guide, which consists of 4 easy steps to install the application. Or you can use the complete installation guide that includes screenshots every step of the way. I’m a visual learner so using the screenshots was very helpful.

Once the software is installed, the Namescape Site Manager is launched immediately.  This is where you will input your license for the software. The site manager can be launched at any time to manage the licenses of any Namescape product you may have installed. The site manager is also used to configure the authentication mode, notifications, logging and designer role.  The Site Manager is located in Start | All Programs | Namescape | Site Manager.

Creating a Web based Active Directory Application.

In my evaluation, I created a simple search application. A search application allows you to search any object in active directory. It will then display it in an easy to read format. I followed the guide in the rDirectory manual and added some fields of my own. Again, I’m very impressed with Namescape’s documentation. It’s made the implementation and configuration of the software a very smooth process.

Above is a screenshot of the app I created. It will display all the username, phone, email, city and state of all the users in Active Directory.  I can even give employees permissions to update their own information. The application can also be locked down so only certain employees have access to it. For example if you created a search directory just for HR, you may not want other departments accessing the app.

Template Based Account Provisioning

Here is an example of Template-Based Account Provisioning with rDirectory.  You can set required fields (ie: emp ID, etc), data integrity controls like regular expressions (ie: phone numbers) or drop down pick lists (titles, dept, locations, etc).  You can also set the template to auto populate fields based on defined criteria.  For example, if I select the Dallas office, this Template will automatically put the user into certain Distribution Lists, Security Groups, the Correct Mailstore/OU, etc.  If I select Teacher/Staff/HR/Sales/Admin/Marketing, it can also affect certain group memberships or display only the corresponding Titles to choose from, etc.  It can also provision other resources at the same time (ie: Exchange Mailbox, Home Folder, even an OCS account).

This Template-Driven Account Provisioning in rDirectory is web-based and can be delegated to users without native permissions to create accounts in AD (possibly HR users).  It is extremely flexible, which allows you to create the templates exactly the way you want.  This helps to speed up, consolidate, and standardize the entire process whether it’s delegated to non-IT staff or not.  Just like with any other app in rDirectory, changes are logged in a full audit log, and special email notifications can be set up

Features

●     Web Based Online Directory – A pre-configured, out-of-the-box search application leverages your existing Active Directory identity data to create a fully functional corporate white page solution.

●     Composable Application Design – Build any number of customized, template-based searches, detailed web applications and create designs specifically to meet the needs of your organization

●     Enable users to update personal information without requiring additional rights or privileges.

●     Data Integrity – Enforce account profile consistency with advanced compliance controls such as validation expressions, object selectors and multi-tiered pick lists.

●     Role Based Access – Control delegated access with flexible and powerful roles, rather than traditional group-based access.

●     Template Based Object Creation – Standardizes object creation by predefining both mandatory and optional attributes, ensuring accuracy and consistency.

●     Account Provision – Automatically create new accounts with any group or other directory relationship already defined.  Extend these provisioning capabilities even further, with the optional Microsoft Exchange and Home Folder provisioning agents.

●     Notification and Auditing – Configurable email notifications and audit logs to ensure accounts cannot be created, modified or deleted without a complete record of the change

●     AD LDS Support – rDirectory provides rich, identity management applications for AD LDS (formerly known as ADAM), without requiring Active Directory’s extensive infrastructure.

System Requirements

• IIS 6.0 or higher
• .Net Framework 3.5 SP1
• Active Directory 2000, 2003 and 2008 running either native or mixed mode
• If the default IIS website is using port 80, you will need to change rDirectory to use a different port such as port 8080

Summary

How often do you delete or update users Active Directory Accounts? Do you spend hours writing powershell or vscripts trying to pull data out of Active Directory. Well no more do you have to pull your hair out writing those long custom apps. Harness the power of Active Directory by using rDirectory. A web based solution that lets your build your own Active Directory apps, that requires no program skills what so ever. Keep it simple, save time, and finally utilize the data in Active Directory with Namescaps’s rDirectory.Take advantage of Namescap’s offer to download a free trail of rDirectory.

You can also request a demo and have a technical expert answer any of your questions.