Two primary modes of operation are supported:
Direct Request for Data: An e-mail message is sent requesting that a user enter data into eDirectory (possibly for consumption by another application). The e-mail recipient responds to the message by clicking a URL in the message. The URL points to the Web server running in the Publisher channel of the Manual Task Service driver. The user then interacts with dynamic Web pages generated by the Web server to authenticate to eDirectory and to enter the requested data.
Event Notification: An e-mail message is sent to a user without involving the Publisher channel. The e-mail message might simply be notification that something occurred in eDirectory, or it might be a request for data through a method other than the Publisher channel's Web server, such as Novell iManager, another application, or a custom interface.
The following sections provide examples for each of these modes:
The following is an employee provisioning example scenario in which a new employee's manager assigns the employee a room number:
A new User object is created in eDirectory (for example, by the Identity Manager driver for the company's HR system).
The Manual Task Service driver Subscriber channel sends an SMTP message to the user's manager and to the manager's assistant. The SMTP message contains a URL that refers to the Publisher channel Web server. The URL also contains data items identifying the user and identifying those authorized to submit the requested data.
The manager or the manager's assistant clicks the URL in the e-mail message to display an HTML form in a Web browser. The manager or assistant then does the following:
Selects the DN for his or her eDirectory User object to identify who is responding to the e-mail message.
Enters his or her eDirectory password.
Enters the room number for the new employee.
Clicks the Submit button.
The room number for the new employee is submitted to eDirectory via the Manual Task Service driver Publisher channel.
The following is an example scenario in which a new employee's manager assigns the employee a computer in an asset management system:
A new User object is created in eDirectory by the Identity Manager driver for the company's HR system.
The Manual Task Service driver Subscriber channel sends an SMTP message to the user's manager and to the manager's assistant. The SMTP message contains instructions for entering data into the asset management system.
The manager or assistant enters data into the asset management system.
(Optional) The computer identification data is brought into eDirectory via an Identity Manager driver for the asset management system.