Installation and Upgrade > Installation and Configuration Guide > Advanced Configurations > Configuring Additional Enterprise Directories > Integration with Established Enterprise Directory Services > Configuration Options Using Enterprise Directory Services
  
Configuration Options Using Enterprise Directory Services
The enterprise directory service configuration options for maintaining user, group, and organization information are as follows:
Option One
Description
Issues
You can import your existing LDAP directory user, group, and organization information into the Windchill Directory Server. As a result, all user, group, and organization information resides in the Windchill Directory Server. For information about importing users and group information, see the Windchill Directory Server Administration Guide.
A decision must be made regarding the distribution and operational maintenance of the user, group, and organization information. You must determine whether the information is administered in multiple locations and how the information should be distributed to the users of the information. For example, what directory synchronization processes must be established to keep information in the Windchill Directory Server up to date?
Option Two
Description
Issues
User information is maintained in one or more separate LDAP directories. Using this option, the Windchill Directory Server would hold the group and organization information and additional LDAP directories would hold the user information.
This option allows the user information to be split between different directories, thus addressing the Option One issue about maintenance and distribution of the user information in multiple directories.
You must select which user administration tools to use. You can use an LDAP administration tool of your choice to maintain information in the enterprise directory as an alternative to using the Windchill administration tools. However, if you use the Windchill administration tools, then Windchill requires write access to the existing LDAP directory. For additional information about Windchill administration tools, see the Windchill Basic Administration Guide.
There are numerous other solutions that require knowledge and expertise regarding the deployment of multiple web servers and multiple LDAP directories in a complex secure environment. Most customers that have an existing LDAP directory will find Option Two to be the least complicated solution. The following topics explain how to implement Option Two.