Connectors¶
What are Connectors?¶
Connectors are adapters that enable JIM to communicate with external systems. Each connector handles the protocol-specific details of connecting to, reading from, and writing to a particular type of data source or target -- whether that is a directory service, a file, a database, or an API.
Connectors abstract away the complexity of each external system, presenting a consistent interface to JIM's synchronisation engine. This means the core synchronisation logic does not need to know the specifics of how to talk to any particular system -- it simply works with connectors through a standard set of operations.
How Connectors Fit in the Architecture¶
JIM uses a hub-and-spoke architecture with the metaverse at the centre. Connectors sit at the edges, bridging the gap between external systems and JIM's internal data model.
When a connector imports data from an external system, it does not write directly to the metaverse. Instead, it populates the connector space -- a staging area that holds local representations of external objects called Connected System Objects (CSOs). During synchronisation, CSOs are joined or projected to Metaverse Objects (MVOs) based on configured sync rules. When exporting, the process reverses: changes flow from the metaverse through sync rules to CSOs, and then the connector pushes those changes back to the external system.
flowchart LR
A["External\nSystem A"] -->|Import| B["Connector Space\n(CSOs)"]
B -->|Sync| C["Metaverse\n(MVOs)"]
C -->|Export| D["External\nSystem B"]Each connected system in JIM has:
- Connection settings -- how to reach the external system (hostname, credentials, file path, etc.)
- Schema -- the object types and attributes available in the external system
- Connector space -- the staging area holding imported CSOs
- Run profiles -- configured operations (full import, delta import, export)
- Sync rules -- rules governing how data flows between the connected system and the metaverse
For more detail on these concepts, see Connected Systems.
🛠️ Available Connectors¶
JIM ships with the following built-in connectors:
| Connector | Description | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| JIM File Connector | CSV and delimited text files | Full Import, Export |
| JIM LDAP Connector | Active Directory, OpenLDAP, 389 Directory Server, and other RFC 4512-compliant directories | Full Import, Delta Import, Export |
Planned Connectors¶
For planned connectors including SQL databases, PowerShell, SCIM 2.0, and REST APIs, see the Roadmap.
🧩 Custom Connectors¶
JIM's connector framework is extensible. If none of the built-in connectors meet your requirements, you can develop a custom connector that implements JIM's connector interfaces. For guidance on building your own connector, see Writing Connectors.