[midPoint] Manual connector questions

Wed Sep 5 15:39:24 CEST 2018

Hello,
We have provided the following information in a similar question from
another contact.  Hope this helps (I know its a long response, but I've
tried to explain the manual resource / case process well):

The MidPoint Cases UI is a combination of pages allowing administrators to
view, close, and audit cases both created automatically using
manual/semi-manual resource connectors, and those created manually by the
user.

A quick overview of cases and case work items:
A case is a task that needs to be completed associated with a particular
resource, and most often, a change to a resource account (shadow).  A case
is assigned to users through "case work items".  A case can have any number
of case work items. Each case work item is assigned to a single user.
Closing any case work item closes the entire case.

To view the Cases UI, simply add the appropriate authorizations for the
user roles needing access.  Here are some common authorizations:

UI Authorization Actions
-
http://midpoint.evolveum.com/xml/ns/public/security/authorization-ui-3#caseWorkItemsAll
-
enables the "All case work items" page showing all case work items assigned
to any user.
-
http://midpoint.evolveum.com/xml/ns/public/security/authorization-ui-3#caseWorkItemsAllocatedToMe
-
enables the "My case work items" page showing all case work items assigned
to the logged in user.
-
http://midpoint.evolveum.com/xml/ns/public/security/authorization-ui-3#caseWorkItem
-
allows access to create a case page

Model Authorization Actions
-
http://midpoint.evolveum.com/xml/ns/public/security/authorization-model-3#readAllWorkItems
-
used in conjunction with object type `CaseWorkItemType`, allows reading all
case work items
- Standard model actions in conjunction with object type `CaseType` to
allow read/modify/etc access on Cases

Once the appropriate authorizations are present, the Cases UI will be
accessible from the menu
Work Items -> All Cases - All Case objects
Work Items -> My Cases - All case objects assigned to logged in user
Work Items -> All Case Work Items - all case work items, filterable by
resource, actor (assignee), and case state (open/closed)
Work Items -> My Case Work Items - all case work items assigned to the
logged in user

Clicking on the case work item "description" in the table will display a
page showing detailed information about the case and case work item, such
as assignee, timestamps, change deltas, etc.  This page also offers the
ability to "close" the case with option to add a comment or upload a file
for evidence (useful for purely manual resources where midPoint has no way
of accurately knowing the result of a change on an external system,
provides evidence for auditing purposes).

Cases are automatically generated by midPoint for manual and semi-manual
resources when their respective resource accounts (shadows) change (account
details such as first/last name, or entitlements such as permission/roles).

For this to happen, a resource must be configured with the connector type
`ManualConnector`.  Additionally, another connector may be specified as an
`additionalConnnector` for semi-manual resources (see
https://wiki.evolveum.com/display/midPoint/Manual+Resource+Configuration#ManualResourceConfiguration-Semi-ManualResources
)
To specify users that should be assigned to the automatically generated
cases, you must add business operators to the resource.  See the example
here:
https://github.com/Evolveum/midpoint/blob/master/provisioning/provisioning-impl/src/test/resources/manual/resource-manual.xml
(Note that `operatorRef`s can include a specific user OID, or a filter can
be used to select a user based on attributes, such as username.

Additionally, if you would like email notifications, the
`simpleCaseManagementNotifier` can be configured in the system
configuration. (I don't believe Evolveum has any documentation on this yet
either, but it operates similar to the other notifiers.  Here is a link to
the class:
https://github.com/Evolveum/midpoint/blob/master/model/notifications-impl/src/main/java/com/evolveum/midpoint/notifications/impl/notifiers/SimpleCaseManagementNotifier.java
)

As you mentioned, there is also the option to use ITSM plugin instead of
the internal midPoint case management functionality.

- Brandon

On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 3:24 AM Radovan Semancik <
radovan.semancik at evolveum.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Manual connectors are quite an interesting functionality of midPoint.
> However, it was created in small parts. It was never a completely funded
> work. As mostly unfunded work we have focused on the code. The code is
> solid, and in fact it recently went over a significant consolidation and
> cleanup as part of Galileo development. However, the documentation leaves
> much to be desired. We have made significant investment to manual connector
> functionality during last few years. And unfortunately, we do not have any
> more resources to invest even more funds in the documentation.
>
> Therefore I can only recommend the options that I'm recommending all the
> time (with a little twist):
>
> 1) Get midPoint subscription. Ideally platform subscription. Income from
> the subscription can be used to improve documentation.
>
> 2) Sponsor the work on midPoint book:
>
> https://evolveum.com/midpoint/midpoint-guide-about-practical-identity-management/
> The book was praised by many people. However, Evolveum has been the only
> sponsor of this effort so far. It was quite an effort already. But there is
> still too many things to write down. And the book is not going to write
> itself. I can do it. In fact, I would absolutely love to do it. But further
> work on the book needs funding.
>
> 3) Source code is available. You can read through the code and contribute
> the documentation.
>
> I know that this answer does not help much. But asking questions without
> contributing anything back is not going to help the project either.
>
>
> --
> Radovan Semancik
> Software Architectevolveum.com
>
>
>
> On 09/04/2018 04:16 AM, Alexandre Zia wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
>    I'm Having a hard time trying to understand how manual connector
> actually works.
>    I've tried several approaches, but always end up with some
>  "collateral effects"
>    I've read all I could find about manual resources, MP Confluence,
> mailing list,
>    provisioned all the examples, tried several different configs, but the
> fact
>    is that there is no comprehensive explanation on how manual resources
> works
>    So I'm asking for help here at least to check if I'm doing something
> terrible wrong
>
> 1. Pure manual connector:
>
>    - Created Role to induce account creation works fine,
>
>    - Upon role assignment the resulting operation it creates a shadow for
> the
>    account in the connector, however the assignment operation never
> completes,
>    stays in IN_PROGRESS forever and the shadows keeps pendingOperations
> and
>    there is no way to get rid of them.
>
>    - Upon role unassignment the role is unassigned but the projection in
> the
>    resource (shadow) is not removed, stays there forever until we manually
>    delete the shadow and run a reconciliation
>
> 2. Semi manual with CSV connector as additionalConnector:
>
>    - Same as above, except:
>
>       -  I can see the accounts appearing in resource
>          (Accounts tab in resource, searching in the resource side)
>          when the accounts appears in the CSV, but seems to do nothing
>          regarding the shadow.
>
>       - when unassigning the role, same thing, when the account vanishes
> from CSV
>         nothing happens to the shadow and the projection remains
>
> I have also created a Shadow Refresh Task, and it even reports that is
> processing the shadows, but nothing changes actually.
>
>   Other thing we are trying to do here is how to notify operator when he
> needs
>   to manually create or delete the accounts?
>   We have created an extra approval named something like: "Wait for the
>   operator to create the account" but again there is room for improvement
> here:
>     - We have approvers assigned to the role and an approval stage
>     - So we have added operators as "owners" and filtering the "wait for
> the
>     operator" approval by the "owner" but this is not working properly.
>
>   Can someone share a bit about the subject?
>   What is the best approach to work with manual connectors?
>
>   If we setup an ITSM plugin (we use Jira here) will it work as expected?
>   By expected I mean will the assignments and unassignments work properly?
>   The projections will be deleted upon unassignments?
>   ITSM plugin is the right way to notify operators?
>
>
>  Thanks for reading the entire email, I know it's huge ;)
>
>  Regards,
>  Alexandre
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
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-- 
Brandon Powers
Exclamation Labs
300 Washington Street
Cumberland, MD 21502
888.545.5008 or 301.722.5008 ext 144
fax 301.722.2183
brandon at exclamationlabs.com
www.exclamationlabs.com
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