What are the benefits and features of DRA REST Services?

  • 7017948
  • 12-Aug-2016
  • 12-Aug-2016

Environment

NetIQ Directory & Resource Administrator 9.0.x
NetIQ Directory and Resource Administrator REST Services Version 1.1


Situation

What are the benefits and features of DRA REST Services?
NetIQ Directory and Resource Administrator REST Services Version 1.1 Release Notes

Resolution

This installer provides enhancements to NetIQ Directory and Resource Administrator.

These improvements were made in direct response to suggestions from our customers. We thank you for your time and valuable input. We hope you continue to help us ensure that our products meet all your needs. You can post feedback in the Directory and Resource Administrator forum on NetIQ Communities, our online community that also includes product information, blogs, and links to helpful resources.

The documentation for this product is available on the NetIQ Web site in HTML and PDF formats on a page that does not require you to log in. If you have suggestions for documentation improvements, click comment on this topic at the bottom of any page in the HTML version of the documentation posted at the NetIQ Documentation page. To download this product, see the Directory and Resource Administrator Product Upgrade Web site.

What's New?

This release provides the RESTful interfaces and PowerShell module that allow clients from products other than Directory and Resource Administrator to request DRA operations. This release also provides the new NetIQ DRA Host service and DRA REST service and endpoints to enable these operations.

The following sections outline the key features and functions provided by this version.

DRA REST Endpoints and Service

A RESTful web service allowing integration with DRA.

DRA Host Service

A WCF service to be installed on a DRA server to facilitate communication with a DRA REST Service.

PowerShell Extensions

A PowerShell module containing cmdlets for performing DRA operations.

Important: All PowerShell cmdlets support optional flags for specifying the REST server and port to use—through -DRARestServer and -DRARestPort—as well as the DRA Server—through -DRAHostServer and -DRAHostPort. If the REST server is not specified the cmdlet will attempt to use server discovery to find a REST server to use. To do this it will look for a REST server—typically in the domain specified by the -Domain parameter when the cmdlet is run—that has a service connection point registered in AD. If the user running the cmdlet doesn't have access to AD, the user will get an error. In this case the object was in an untrusted domain that is managed by DRA using an override account. To work around this issue, the user running the cmdlet needs to explicitly specify the REST Server, REST port, Host Server, and Host port using the parameters noted above.

Web Console Technical Preview

The DRA web console is being updated for a future release. While the majority of core AD management functionality is implemented for Users, Groups, Contacts, Computers, and OUs, only a subset of Exchange features are available in the Technical Preview.

Although it is still in a state of development we believe that it is complete enough to allow our customers to install it into a test environment in order to preview its new look and feel as well as its many new features. In return, we would appreciate your feedback about the usefulness of the new web console.

Installation Considerations

This technical preview is intended to be deployed into a test environment only; do not install into a production environment.

Tested Browsers

We are designing the DRA web console to work with modern browsers. We have tested the latest versions of Chrome and Firefox, in addition to Internet Explorer 10 and 11 have been tested against this technical preview. Other browsers may have issues not noted in these release notes.

Known Issues

This technical preview is not a finished product and will contain issues. Listed below are the issues we have identified. If you discover others, please let us know by contacting Technical Support.

A User's Exchange Security Properties Cannot Be Modified via the Web Console (ENG339083)

Changes made to the Mailbox Security tab on the user Properties page are not be saved.

The Logon Hours Are Not Displayed in the Web Console (ENG339304)

A user's Logon Hours information does not display on the web console when viewed from a timezone with a fractional UTC offset.

Cannot Update a User's Logon Hours from the Web Console (ENG339305)

A user's Logon Hours cannot be modified via the web console in a timezone with a fractional UTC offset.

Other Domains Are Returned in a Search for a User's Manager When Using the Web Console (ENG339306)

When searching from a user's Organization page for the user's manager, domains other than those in the same forest as the user are displayed.

Cannot Use the Web Console to Clone an Email-enabled User (ENG339211)

An email-enabled user cannot be cloned from the web console.

The Web Console Is Vulnerable to Clickjacking (ENG339280)

The Nessus tool indicated a medium-level vulnerability.


System Requirements

This installer requires Directory and Resource Administrator 8.7.2 or later.

Each of the new features mentioned above also have specific requirements.

DRA REST Endpoints and Service

  • Microsoft .NET Framework Update for 4.0 (KB 2600211)
  • Microsoft Internet Information Services 7.5
  • NetIQ Directory and Resource Administrator 8.7.2 or later (Console or Server component)

DRA Host Service

  • Microsoft .NET Framework Update for 4.0 (KB 2600211)
  • Microsoft Internet Information Services 7.5
  • NetIQ Directory and Resource Administrator 8.7.2 or later

PowerShell Extensions

  • Microsoft .NET Framework Update for 4.0 (KB 2600211)
  • Microsoft PowerShell 2.0 or later

Web Console Technical Preview

  • Microsoft .NET Framework Update for 4.0 (KB 2600211)
  • Microsoft Internet Information Services 7.5


Installing This Version

You can install all of the features on a single DRA server, or you can distribute the features across multiple machines. For more information about requirements and installation scenarios, see the NetIQ DRA REST Technical Reference included with the installer.