What will you learn on our Microsoft Identity Manager – MIM – Foundation course?
Learn the fundamentals of Microsoft Identity Manager on our MIM Foundation training course. It covers everything you need to know to start your MIM journey with confidence!
Hundreds of IT pros have taken our MIM Foundation training course over the last few years. 96% would recommend the course to colleagues – read customer feedback. And many customers – such as Systems Engineer Evan from the US (read his story) – go on to take our follow-up MIM Advanced and MIM Expert training courses.
The MIM Foundation course is available as a live instructor-led training course via Teams in Central European Time and North American Eastern Time. It is also available as an online self-paced training course.
Ivan, IT Officer from Belgium who took our MIM Foundation course via Teams in 2021, said:
The training was an excellent opportunity to hear, learn and even have a hands on experience with MIM. The instructor, Paul Captainino, is an excellent teacher. His preparation for the course was outstanding. His knowledge on the subject is of a depth I could only admire. His capacity to keep us concentrated on the subject even if not in the same classroom, was remarkable. It was amazing to experience online training at this level.
Mark, Specialist Software Engineer from the US who took our MIM Foundation online self-paced course in 2021, said:
Very pleased with the course. As someone who hadn’t even heard of MIM several weeks ago, I feel like I now know my way around enough to begin learning more how MIM at my company is implemented. The self-paced learning was particularly beneficial to someone like myself with no background.
Read what other students say. See course dates and prices.
What will you learn?
The MIM Foundation training course will enable you to:
- Understand MIM concepts and components
- Identify appropriate MIM scenarios
- Manage users, groups and passwords using MIM
- Synchronize identity data across systems, such as AD and HR
- Understand the issues involved in loading data (initial load, backup, and disaster recovery)
- Configure security for different levels of user
- Manage password self-service reset and synchronization
- Automate run cycles
- Handle sets, simple workflows and MPRs
What does the course cover?
1. Introducing Microsoft Identity Manager
Module 1 takes a tour of many of the built-in features of MIM through the user experience, in which the student becomes familiar with the interface, the high level architecture, and the business needs MIM addresses. At this point you see the ‘finished article’ – the rest of the course is spent understanding how this works, and building the ‘finished article’ from a raw installation. The lab is a walkthrough of creating a new user and managing groups and credentials for that user – as well as the experience of that new user.
2. The Synchronization Service Manager
In module 2 we introduce the MIM Synchronization Service Manager and explain its features through scenarios that do not use the MIM Portal. We introduce the main tools (Metaverse Designer, Operations Tool, Joiner etc.), and we cover basic configuration of a Management Agent along with run profiles, verifying results, and simple Metaverse searches. During the lab, a new Management Agent (MA) is created for a simple HR system.
3. More about Synchronization
Module 3 looks at various types of MA, including LDAP and file based sources, with the particular emphasis on Inbound and Outbound Synchronization. We cover in detail: filters, join and projection rules, connectors and disconnectors, provisioning, deprovisioning, different kinds of attribute flow etc. In the lab, two more MAs are created, and a simple data driven scenario for managing a directory (AD LDS) is established.
4. The MIM Service and Portal
We then examine the MIM Service and application database, introducing key concepts such as sets, workflows and policies, and how permissions are granted. Next we look at how the MIM Service integrates with the MIM Synchronization Service, and how data flows between them. The labs build a MIM MA and flows our HR data from the Synchronization Service to the portal, and portal data to the Synchronization Service.
5. Managing Synchronization from the Portal
In module 5 we cover the concept of portal based Synchronization Rules, and how they compare with the “Classic” Rules we have considered so far. We go on to consider how and where to use Portal Synchronization Rules, Workflows, and Management Policy Rules (MPRs), including more complex attribute flows. We examine the special considerations required when managing Active Directory user accounts. The labs make use of Synchronization Rules. The lab also covers configuring MIM so that users are automatically created (provisioned) into AD, renamed, and removed (deprovisioned) as necessary.
6: Credential Management
Primarily module 6 is about passwords. We mention Certificate Management, but this is a large subject that has a course of its own. We discuss self-service password reset in detail (including text message, email and ‘MFA’ approaches) – we also discuss self-service account unlocking (new with MIM). We cover password synchronization. The labs cover nearly all aspects of password management in MIM, with the exception of some more advanced topics (like writing custom password management workflows and extensions), or configuration which is hard to do in a classroom environment (like Microsoft Entra MFA).
7: Group Management
Module 7 covers the management of distribution and security groups – including the relationship between groups in AD and other systems. More work is done on Synchronization Rules, Workflows, and MPRs. We cover the configuration of workflow approvals. The labs build on our scenario to include the management of various types of groups in AD.
8: Other Considerations
In this module we draw together the threads of what is perhaps the most important feature of the MIM Service – MPRs: the different types, different uses, how they are processed and how to troubleshoot them. We then look at some operational considerations, including the management of run cycles using scripts, and also backup, restore, and disaster recovery. Various labs cover additional features of MPRs and provide experience in the operational matters. The last of these labs puts the finishing touches on what has – perhaps surprisingly – turned out to be quite a thorough proof-of-concept system. This module also gives an overview of two “extensions” to MIM’s capabilities: Roles Based Access Control, and Privileged Access Management.
Case study: Evan says his MIM Foundation training is “simply awesome”
Evan, a Systems Engineer from Kansas, USA has taken all three of our Microsoft Identity Manager courses. He told us:
We use MIM heavily in our environment to automate all of our account provisioning and business logic, but we didn’t have anyone operating it and were instead relying on an outside contractor. I was seeking self-study resources for MIM, but they are few and far between. Eventually, I decided to seek out formal training, and a former co-worker recommended Oxford Computer Training’s courses.
The online MIM Foundation training course was simply awesome. It’s been by far one of the greatest training courses I have ever experienced. With a topic as deep and as wide as Microsoft Identity Manager, this course covers everything you need to know to get started. MIM is quite difficult to grasp due to a lack of clarity in most of the public documentation. But this course absolutely, 100%, solves that problem, and then some. I will be able to use what I have learned immediately. I’m much more confident in knowing where to go and what to do.
After a few months spent putting the skills he learned into practice in real-world scenarios, Evan took our MIM Advanced online, self-paced training course. Then, in January 2021, he took our instructor-led MIM Expert training course live via Teams. He told us:
It’s the perfect finishing touch to the other two courses, and definitely leaves you feeling empowered.