UME Data Sources  

The data repositories or persistence layers from which SAP User Management Engine (UME) retrieves user management data are referred to as data sources. With UME you can leverage existing user data repositories in your system infrastructure by connecting to them using configurable persistence adapters. You can read data from and write data to multiple data sources in parallel. For example, you can configure UME so that user data is read from an existing corporate directory, while new users are written to a database. A persistence manager is responsible for reading the data from or writing the data to the correct data source. The data source to which the persistence manager writes is transparent to applications using UME.

UME can use the following types of data sources:

●     Database of AS-Java

●     Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory

SAP has set up a program to certify LDAP directory solutions for use with UME. For more information, see SAP Service Marketplace at service.sap.com/security ® Security Partners ®Partners for directory services (Interface to LDAP enabled directories).

●     ABAP user management of SAP NetWeaver Application Server 6.20 SPS 25 or higher

For recommendations on which data sources to use and how to integrate UME in your system landscape, see Integration of User Management in Your System Landscape.

Configuration of Data Sources

You have several options for configuring the data sources used by UME:

●     Define the data sources during installation

During installation of the SAP NetWeaver Application Server, you can define whether UME uses the Java database or the ABAP user management of a SAP NetWeaver Application Server as a data source. For more information, see Installation Options.

●     Define the data sources after installation using data source configuration files

UME provides data source configuration files that define a configuration for standard scenarios, such as storing standard user data in a corporate LDAP directory and application-specific data in the database. After installation, you can change the configuration of UME to use the configuration from one of these files.

Restrictions apply, see SAP Note 718383.

For more information on the available files, see Preconfigured Data Source Combinations. For an example of how to change the configuration of UME to use one of these files, see Configuring UME to Use an LDAP Server as Data Source.

Change the configuration data with the J2EE Config Tool in the section Global server configuration for the servicecom.sap.security.core.ume.service. The UME ignores changes at other locations, such as changes made in the Visual Administrator. You can also configure the configuration data with the user management configuration tool.

●     Create your own customized data source configuration file

If none of the preconfigured files meets your requirements, you can modify the existing configuration files according to your requirements.

This option is not recommended. Normally you should only need to change the data source configuration files if you are using an LDAP directory as data source and need to adapt the attribute mappings.

Before changing a configuration file, make absolutely sure that none of the preconfigured files meet your requirements. If at all possible, use one of the preconfigured files rather than creating your own.

Customizing data source configuration files is not a trivial undertaking. You should start a project with an experienced consultant or contract SAP consulting services. Although SAP Support supports systems which use customized data source configuration files, SAP cannot support the customization process for the data source configuration file.

Nor can SAP guarantee the compatibility of customized data source configuration files with future releases or service pack stacks. Upgrades may include changes to the shipped data source configuration files. When you perform an upgrade to your SAP NetWeaver ASfor Java installation, these changes are not reflected in your modified configuration files. You must to add these changes to your modified files manually.

For more information, see Customizing a UME Data Source Configuration.