Developing a Staff Directory with Active Directory

When considering Directory Services support for the CentricMinds Convurge .NET CMS product, we set ourselves the following
design goals:

1. Active Directory should be the “master” in all cases, and the CMS should replicate automatically at scheduled intervals.

2. Logging in to the Convurge .NET CMS should be seamless and follow a single sign on approach, while preserving security at all times.

A new JobManager task connects to an Active Directory server and synchronises all accounts, adding new users to the .NET CMS and removing those who are no longer present in Active Directory. When a user accesses the CMS, they are authenticated against Active Directory and transferred automatically to the main Administration screen or public site as appropriate.

The Search control allows the Convurge .NET CMS to search for users as well as files, pages and text. A Staff Directory requires more than just a user name however and by assigning metaplates to user accounts, customers can specify their own fields such as phone extension, line manager and personal photo. A new JobManager task connects to an external source (such as a legacy database) and automatically populates each user’s metadata with their current details.

By combining Active Directory, users and metadata, and powerful search capabilities the Convurge .NET CMS now provides a simple way of creating a rich Staff Profile suitable for any Intranet.