Active Directory Management (ADM) for ALDI SOUTH
Goal
Delegation of decentralized user administration to local managers.
Solution
The time-consuming management of users in the Active Directory is usually reserved for administrators. This ties up valuable resources. With ACTIVE DIRECTORY MANAGEMENT (ADM), employee data can be conveniently managed by responsible persons and fully automated in the IT infrastructure - without IT knowledge.
User administration in real time
Decentralized user administration offers many significant advantages. ALDI SOUTH recognized this early on. As early as 2004, the Group's IT specialists were looking for ways to automate routine processes for user administration in the Active Directory (AD) and the creation of mailboxes in Exchange.
"Together with those responsible at ALDI SOUTH, we developed a concept for decentralized user management that made the administration process much more efficient," recalls Pascal Kremmers, Managing Director of prodot.
An intuitive interface enables HR managers, for example, to administer employees in a standardized way. When creating a new user, not only can accounts be created in AD, but also Exchange e-mail inboxes, Internet e-mail addresses and home directories on file servers. Access to certain programs, e-mail mailboxes, AD groups and RAS accesses can be freely configured. Users can view their own authorizations and request additional ones. Supervisors are included in the approval process via an authorization workflow.
Decentralized user administration
ACTIVE DIRECTORY MANAGEMENT (ADM) is based on a powerful client-server architecture with SQL Server 2012. "The administrators have set up ADM instances at all ALDI SOUTH locations worldwide, which are continuously synchronized," explains Kremmers.
A comprehensive configuration system allows the top administration level to delegate subtasks through the support hierarchy. Site-specific adjustments can be tracked at the highest level and made subject to approval.
ADM has since been expanded several times and its operation adapted to modern user concepts - the current version 5 provides a WPF client with a modern design.
- High-performance: Automatic use of the fastest available AD server; thanks to intelligent caching, tens of thousands of users can be read in less than a second.
- Transparent: Complete logging of changes and approvals that can be called up at any time. Reverse search of all holders of any authorization. Complete user overview with all authorizations.
- Reliable results: Relieves the IT department of error-prone, complex routine work thanks to automated templates. Ensures the quality and consistency of user data throughout the ALDI SOUTH Group.
- Configurable: User groups, attributes and the UI can be adapted to site-specific requirements on a decentralized basis.
- Efficient: Minimization of manual data entry and processing times. Reduction of process and IT costs.
- Integrated: Interfaces to the PKI, email archiving system and other backend systems.
- Structured: Standardized approval workflow, standardized authorization forms, high quality and up-to-date user data.
Over 10 years of ADM know-how
The clear structure provided by ACTIVE DIRECTORY MANAGEMENT (ADM) makes it possible to initiate authorization for other programs beyond AD groups. In a follow-up project, ALDI SOUTH has linked ADM to the company's own Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This allows certificates to be issued to users in a standardized manner.
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About the company
ALDI SOUTH
With its philosophy of concentrating on the essentials, the ALDI SOUTH Group has made history . For more than 50 years, it has followed the discount principle of offering quality products at an excellent price-performance ratio. The focus on own brands, a select and manageable product range and a clear product presentation have proven their worth.
Today, the ALDI SOUTH Group is one of the leading discount retailers on the German and international market. It is one of the leaders in customer satisfaction in the discount sector. TheALDI SOUTH Group operates over 5,000 stores on three continents in nine countries worldwide. The Group is represented by 31 regional companies in western and southern Germany.
