Overview

A secure and efficient access to the relevant data is especially important for employees. Therefore, the investment in Identity and Access Management (IAM) has a particularly high priority. For this, not only the use of a corresponding software solution is important, but also the adaptation or modeling of the business processes within this software, which must fit into the existing IT environment. Every company is unique and does not have the time or resources to develop a custom IAM system. For this case, Oxford Computer Group GmbH (OCG) has developed the IAM system "IDABUS". OCG is a recognized expert in the planning and implementation of IAM systems and has been working in close cooperation with Microsoft for 15 years. IDABUS is therefore positioned as a cloud successor to Microsoft Identity Manger 2016 (MIM). With IDABUS, uncertainties and costs in the management of identities can be reduced, as security, efficiency and compliance requirements are fulfilled. IDABUS is used to manage and group identities during their lifecycle within a company. The identity management system can be customized according to different company requirements. Dynamic workflows and processes can be designed to meet company-specific compliance and security requirements. We have dedicated ourselves to the motto "Performance by Design" during the development. This motto is reflected in all software components. Thanks to the use of Azure resources, both the frontend and the backend are individually and dynamically scalable in order to be able to compensate workload peaks individually.

Azure Architecture

IDABUS uses various Azure technologies. The basis is a Cosmos database - a NoSQL database that is characterized by response times in the millisecond range. Another decisive factor in choosing the Cosmos database was its instant scalability, which ensures business continuity even with large data volumes. Another component is the DataService. It belongs to the backend and is a RESTful API. The DataService covers all basic functions of an IAM system (e.g. creation of object types, attributes, workflows, etc.). The DataService is provided using the Azure App Service. This enables load balancing and automatic scaling according to individual workload peaks. The same applies to the frontend - the IDABUS UI. The user interface offers the possibility to model the company processes and to create and manage identities (users, groups, organizational units, etc.). The IDABUS UI is also provided via the Azure App Service and uses the DataService to save the data in the Cosmos database. The two other components are the Azure Logic Apps and the Azure Service Bus. By means of the Azure Logic Apps, the DataService is extended by various functionalities, such as the sending of mails, the time-controlled start of a workflow or the asynchronous call of an external API. In the case of an asynchronous call, the Azure Service Bus, which forms the interface to the ‘Callback’ Logic App, takes effect. The Azure Service Bus delivers the response of the external API to the DataService. This behavior has proven to be robust and fail-safe.