Express (Distributed operating systems), v8.0 > Secure applications and their environment > Authenticate users > Select a registry or repository > Manage realms in a federated repository > Virtual member manager > Component overview > Functional Overview
Virtual member manager identifiers
Every entity in virtual member manager needs a unique identifier.
When an application calls virtual member manager with the unique identifier for an entity, the properties of the entity can be retrieved. The unique identifier can also be used by an application to associate application-specific data for the entity. Such application-specific data are stored in the application's own data store. For instance, WebSphere Portal may have information about portlets associated with a person and such information is stored in the Portal database. Portal can use the virtual member manager unique identifier as a key to the person-specific portlet information. Similarly virtual member manager uses the unique identifier as a key to data in the property extension repository that virtual member manager keeps for the same entity that exists in a main repository.
When an identifier is used to retrieve a profile, all that is required of the identifier is that it be unique. However, when an identifier is used to associate data in different systems (between virtual member manager and an application which calls virtual member manager or between virtual member manager and a repository that virtual member manager uses), it is highly desirable that not only is the identifier unique, it is also static (once created won't change) and never reused.
- Virtual member manager unique ID
Virtual member manager provides an identifier that is unique, static, and never reused to its applications so that data for an entity in an application-specific data store can be associated with the same entity in virtual member manager.- Virtual member manager unique name
Virtual member manager provides another unique identifier called uniqueName.- Other system and real-life identifiers
An entity in a repository might have additional identifiers.
Parent topic: Functional Overview