Hi everyone,

We're putting together the documentation for the upcoming v9 release and I thought I would share a page from the help manual from the "What's new for AD"

Here it is...

Rod

What's new for the v9 Active Directory module?

The version 9 Active Directory module is almost a complete re-write of the version 8 code.  Here's some of the improvements.

1. A new look, wizard style profile manager

Now it is much easier to create and configure Active Directory profiles.  The new profile wizard will guide you through each step of the process in a clear and logical manner.  Each distinct step has been isolated to provide a much friendlier user interface.

2. More control over the client matching algorithm

The version 8 Active Directory module matched Active Directory users to HelpMaster Pro clients via 3 fields - First name, Last name and Email address.  This pattern matching was not adjustable and was not flexible enough for many users.  The v9 Active Directory module allows you to pick from a list of different client matching patterns.

3. No more custom mappings, schedules and association of clients

The version 8 Active Directory module required a lot of pre-configuring to make it work.  Most of this has been done away with.  Now each profile has its own built-in client matching algorithm, as well as what Active Directory fields to map to HelpMaster Pro clients.

4. The ability to run a full Active Directory synchronization without having to configure and run the service

It is now possible to perform a full Active Directory synchronization at the click of a button.  This feature is great if your Active Directory data does not change often, or you just want a finer level of manual control of your Active Directory synchronization.

5. The ability to identify duplicates

Sometimes when the Active Directory synchronization occurs, duplicate HelpMaster Pro clients may be matched to the same Active Directory user.  A new screen in the Active Directory administration allows system administrators to identify and correct these matches.

6. Integration with the HelpMaster Pro Desktop edition

All of the Active Directory functionality is now directly accessible right from within the HelpMaster Pro desktop interface.  The new "Modules" menu allows users of HelpMaster Pro to view and configure all aspects of the Email Manager, the Priority Manager, The Web Interface as well as the Active Directory module.

7. Easier administration and visibility into the management of HelpMaster Pro clients

The client detail screen in HelpMaster Pro has been improved to display all of the relevant Active Directory synchronization information.  In addition to this, the client search screen has new popup menus that allow system administrators a quick and easy way to manage their Active Directory relationship.  Working with clients and Active Directory is much easier now.

8. More field chooser fields available for Active Directory

New field chooser fields are now available for the "Client" entity within HelpMaster Pro.  By adding these fields to your field chooser settings, system administrator have greater visibility into the activity of the Active Directory module.

9. Better Windows authenticated logon for all HelpMaster Pro modules

The internal code for allowing clients to automatically logon to all HelpMaster Pro modules has been improved for a faster, more reliable logon.

10. Selecting LDAP paths for Active Directory profiles is faster and more flexible

Selecting LDAP paths for profiles is now much quicker with the Active Directory hierarchy being populated "on demand".  This is good news for anyone with a large Active Directory hierarchy.  Furthermore, it is now possible to manually type in a valid LDAP path instead of having to browse to it.