Cross Forest SharePoint Solution

The Virtual Identity Server (VIS) allows organizations to rapidly and easily to deploy SharePoint across multiple forests without the need for forest trusts with full Office integration.

Many companies have multiple internal Active Directory forests that do not have any forest trust relationships. There are many valid reasons for separating and isolating these forests. However, this often conflicts with the business need to share and collaborate data across these forests.

The Virtual Identity Server makes this once difficult task, easy to achieve. VIS bridges the gap of these siloed directories. This provides a single enterprise view of these isolated directories, while maintaining the security and control of the existing Active Directory infrastructure.

Enhanced Authorization & Content Management using Virtual Static and Dynamic Groups

SharePoint utilizes Active Directory groups to manage authorization and permissions within SharePoint. Utilizing Virtual Static Groups, businesses have a more flexible and powerful way to manage content permissions. Group membership can span multiple forests without the need for forest trusts. In addition, SharePoint specific groups no longer need to reside in AD forests. Instead, these groups can be centralized within the SharePoint deployment; reducing complexity and cost.

Virtual Dynamic Groups

Auditing and Compliance Built-In

VIS extends the SharePoint deployment further by providing comprehensive auditing and reporting capabilities. VIS tracks and logs all LDAP activity to a Microsoft SQL Server database. VIS provides valuable auditing information that can be easily reported on using Optimal IdM Reports™, a web based reporting and compliance solution that is bundled with VIS. Optimal IdM Reports allows reports to be run interactively using a .NET web application or can be scheduled for email distribution in popular formats such as PDF, Word and Excel.

Common Deployment Scenarios

The VIS/SharePoint integration is extremely flexible and can accommodate a wide variety of deployment scenarios. Customer requirements vary but often share a common architecture goal such as the ability to:

• Deploy SharePoint across multiple internal Active Directory forests



• Deploy an external (DMZ based) SharePoint to both external and internal users



• Integrate an external DMZ SharePoint server with an internal SharePoint server where documents are synchronized between two deployments.

Internal Deployment across Multiple Forests

One SharePoint installation can seamlessly provide cross-forest functionality without forest trusts while retaining full Office integration. SharePoint can now be securely and rapidly deployed to users existing in multiple AD forests with greater control, flexibility and security using VIS.

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External (DMZ) SharePoint Deployed to External and Internal Users

Using VIS SharePoint can be rapidly deployed to both internal and external user directories using the standard LDAP protocol.

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External (DMZ) SharePoint Integrated & Synchronized with Internal

VIS can greatly simplify deplyments that were previsouly extremely complex and comlicated. For example, many business already have SharePoint deployed internally and would now like to collaborate and share content with external partners or customers.

VIS makes this deployment extemely easy. A new external SharePoint server is created in the DMZ and is configured to use VIS as its LDAP provider. VIS now utilizes both the external LDAP directory and internal LDAP directory for authentication and authorization to the SharePoint content.

Internal users can either utilize the internal SharePoint server, or utilize the external SharePoint server when collaborating with external users. The documents/content from the Internal and External SharePoint servers can be synchronized based on the business requirements and needs.

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Download VIS & SharePoint Integration DataSheet

  Download VIS & SharePoint Integration Datasheet(pdf)