Identity Management Software Design Guidelines

Identity Management infrastructures are large and complex. There are many moving parts and sometimes deciphering one component from the next is difficult. When you consider that there are numerous software vendors that offer different versions of each component and sometimes classify identity solutions differently from each other, the task of identity software selection can be daunting. To make the task easier, organizations should develop some design criteria by which to measure individual software components against each other. Rather than just conducting a feature and functionality comparison, companies should develop a set of architectural considerations that are important within their own organization.

With one eye focused on the move toward service orientation and the underlying premise that business agility will be a key differentiator for companies moving forward, here are a few recommendations for criteria by which to measure identity software solutions:

• Open: The software is based on open standards rather than proprietary or closed architecture. It can run on Windows, Unix, Linux, etc.. It can be accessed via multiple incoming and outgoing protocols. It's interoperable with other like-minded solutions.


• Extensible: The software is able to be extended. Organizations are complex and specific needs vary greatly. Identity software should be able to be extended to meet whatever requirements arise now or in the future. The solution should be extensible at multiple points and via open languages or APIs.


• Flexible: The software can be put to use to solve multiple problems. Identity software that solves only one specific problem is limiting. Identity software needs to be flexible enough to meet multiple demands and solve numerous problems. While an application can't be all things to all people, it can keep flexibility as a core design goal so that companies can leverage the solution to achieve their maximum ability to adapt.


• Small-Footed: The software leaves a small footprint on the IT architecture. The requirement to load numerous components and additional applications to support the deployment of a single identity solution leaves a bad impression upon the existing architecture. Identity solutions should fit seamlessly into an existing infrastructure without the need for additional software. Each new required component increases the cost and complexity of the environment - and reduced its manageability.

I thought about including performance, but I ultimately decided against it for 2 reasons: 1) it's highly subjective and 2) it will vary for almost every implementation based on architectural decisions, infrastructure and requirements. So although software makers should strive for high performance, it's difficult to measure without extensive testing.

What else is on your list of identity software design goals?