VDS Tutorial - Accessing DB, Does it work?

[former_member431321]

Hi all,

there are 3 VDS tutorials which comes with VDS installation.

SAP IDM VDS - Accessing Database, SAP IDM VDS - Accessing LDAP and SAP IDM VDS - Joining Datasources.

Among the 3, "SAP IDM VDS - Accessing Database" is most basic one that I tried to follow it.

Despite I followed the tutorial step by step carefully,

at final stage, the LDAP browser does not read-in anything.

( I guess there could be some changes in default settings in VDS configuration, but can not resolve it)

If anyone successfully tried this tutorial, could you give a advice to me?

best regards,

dongsu

[former_member91276]

Hi Dongsu,

As i am a beginner on IDM, I have a basic question on VDS.

Does Identity center need VDS mandatorily to communicate with its database for it everyday operations or rather for all its operations(fetches/updates)

I have been through the doc., 'SAP IDM VDS - Accessing Database', and it speaks about displaying DB in a tree like structure. But what if i do not use VDS. Can IDM still not function?

IDM 7.2 SP8, DB: MSSQL 2005

Regards

Plaban

[former_member431321]

Hi Plaban Sahoo,

VDS is not mandatory for most of IDM operation.

I am configuring VDS because I will integrate SAP HCM and SAP GRC AC to my SAP IDM.

And VDS is recommended by SAP for integration with HCM and GRC AC.

hope this help.

dongsu

[former_member431321 · Accepted solution]

I found the reason and how to avoid it.

It is caused by SQL query generated by VDS when it run LDAP Search to DB-Datasource.

My environment is IDM 8.0 SP6 and Oracle DBMS on Windows Server 2016.

The VDS use SQL Server specific SQL query and it does not work on Oracle.

see below.

As is this screen shot shows, the Query is "Select top 51 * from HR_SAMPLE". And it makes error.

It is working in SQL server but not in Oracle or MySQL.

So I guess, the VDS was first developed using SQL Server and not modified properly when porting to other DBMS like Oracle.

To avoid it, I have to change the value of 'Size limit type' from TOP to None.

There are more options for this attribute, but I did not tested.

I hope someone in development team fix it someday.

And none in SAP IDM get lost for days for it.

dongsu.

[former_member2987 · Accepted solution]

You are correct, Dongsu, most IDM development back in those days was done on SQL Server and then ported to Oracle.

As far as the tutorial goes, this should have been covered in the tutorial documentation, pretty sure it was at some point. There is no way (that I recall) for VDS to determine which database is being used and adjust accordingly, unlike IDM.

As far as MySQL goes, I don't think it's ever been on the direct roadmap except for connecting via JDBC...

[former_member431321 · Accepted solution]

Hi Matt,

about your comment

"There is no way (that I recall) for VDS to determine which database is being used.."

I have different idea.

When we configure Data Source in VDS, we define what DBMS to use.

I selected "Oracle Thin" and by the result, the jdbc driver was selected by VDS automatically.

So, it can be done, I think.

[former_member2987]

Hi Dongsu, you are absolutely right, however that would mean VDS would need to be extended to look at the driver and then update the configuration accordingly. Not impossible, but certainly doable if SAP should so desire.