Synchronization Overview

Synchronization is the process whereby data across disparate resources is kept consistent. Within IDM, we refer to two resource types—managed resources (stored in the IDM repository) and external resources. An external resource can be any system that holds identity data, such as ForgeRock Directory Services (DS), Active Directory, a CSV file, a JDBC database, and so on.

IDM connects to external resources through connectors. For information about these connectors, see the Connectors Guide. Synchronization across resources happens when managed resources change, or when IDM discovers a change on a system resource. There are various synchronization mechanisms that ensure data consistency.