With release 5.0 of Virtual Directory Server, Radiant Logic has split up its product line into VDS proxy edition and VDS context edition to cater better to the specific demands for directory virtualisation. Many virtual directory requirements arise out of specific deployment problems that must be overcome, and are best addressed with targeted point solutions. Radiant Logic’s VDS proxy edition is well placed to address these issues and has been priced accordingly. Other more strategic virtual directory projects are centred on a desire to harmonise and integrate identity data that is often widely distributed and has multiple different data owners. For those projects, Radiant Logic has released its VDS context edition in December 2008. The VDS context edition includes all of the functionality in the VDS proxy edition along with more advanced functions such as data modelling, schema management, ability to reconfigure DITs, and persistent cache & sophisticated cache refresh leveraging a message bus infrastructure. There is a simple upgrade path from VDS proxy edition to VDS context edition.
Packaged inside the VDS is a simple LDAP proxy that can be used for load-balancing LDAP requests and providing a fail-over mechanism between redundant instances. This LDAP proxy is called RadiantOne Access Router and is bundled with the Virtual Directory Server.
Radiant Logic’s products are designed as a fully-featured directory server that can store data either internally or otherwise access data stored in other places. It achieves virtualisation through mapping of data from sources into suffixes. As this is happening, data transformation and joining is possible.
The product is very strong from a usability standpoint and in its extensive connectivity in terms of directory authentication protocols and data sources. From a user perspective, the Virtual Directory Server has a nicely crafted graphical user interface, making configuration and testing very simple. The directory server-centric design makes a very consistent approach that directory administrators can easily identity with and feel “at home” in.
Also, the directory server-centric approach – whilst having the advantages described in the previous paragraph has some limitations when it comes to customisation, and narrows down the available options for some deployments, these drawbacks may not be an issue for most deployments, but the limitations should be well understood when deciding for a virtual directory product. Radiant Logic offers another product, the VDS context edition that offers more customisation features - namely schema extraction and data modeling tools that enable the design of different views based on security or application context.
Radiant Logic has been in the virtual directory business for more than eight years and its products are well established. The company has an impressive line-up of large reference customers as well as partnership agreements with major integrators. Computer Associates has also certified several of its products such as its flagship SiteMinder with Radiant Logic’s Virtual Directory Server.
In addition to its flagship VDS product, Radiant also offers a component called the Identity Correlation and Synchronization Server (ICS). This component provides identity correlation and data synchronization capabilities more commonly associated with classical meta directory technology but in a more modern framework leveraging a publish and subscribe message bus infrastructure with a simple to use drag and drop GUI. The ICS is also the base technology for the VDS context edition real-time cache refresh functionality that comes bundled with VDS context edition.
