DirectControl Software Development Kit

Because Centrify DirectControl enables Active Directory to become the central identity repository and directory for UNIX, Linux and Mac OS systems, it is important to allow Windows and UNIX IT staff to easily manage and provision the UNIX identity information that is now stored within Active Directory. To meet this need, Centrify offers the Centrify DirectControl Software Development Kit (SDK) to enable developers to manage UNIX user data, including user, group and NIS map data. The DirectControl SDK includes both a Windows API and, for UNIX and Linux platforms, an Active Directory-aware OpenLDAP interface. The end result is that both in-house and commercial identity management and provisioning solutions, such as Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS), can, in an easy and robust manner, programmatically manage, administer and provision the UNIX identity information that Centrify DirectControl stores within Active Directory.

For Windows

The DirectControl SDK's robust Windows API provides a set of high-level functions that you can use within VBScript, JScript or C# to add, modify or delete DirectControl objects such as Zones and UNIX user profiles, as well as Active Directory Groups that can be used within UNIX and NIS maps. Programming examples are provided to jumpstart your development efforts. The SDK also provides Windows integration modules for popular provisioning products, including the DirectControl Extension for the MIIS Management Agent.

For UNIX, Linux and Mac

The DirectControl SDK offers a set of OpenLDAP commands, including ldapadd, ldapmodify, and ldapdelete, which have been enhanced to operate more seamlessly in an Active Directory environment. For example, the DirectControl SDK provides enhanced OpenLDAP commands that:

• Support Kerberos-based authentication to Active Directory.
• Facilitate Active Directory "site awareness" to find the nearest domain controller for the current domain.
• Support the Global Catalog to find objects that might be managed in remote domains.
• And more.

With an understanding of DirectControl's Zone-based and RFC-2307-based data storage model, you can use these standard LDAP commands to create programs and scripts that provision and administer DirectControl objects within Active Directory.

How to Get the DirectControl SDK

Customers and those evaluating DirectControl can log in to the Centrify Online Customer Support Portal and download the SDK from the Download Center for evaluation purposes. It is licensed on a per-developer basis. If you are not yet a DirectControl user, please fill out the Evaluation Request form.