I have two reference attributes in the HR data source, called "Manager" and "Team Leader". Every person has a Manager, but not necessarily a Team Leader. I would like to define a new reference attribute, "Supervisor", computed as follows: - if the persons has a Team Leader, take the Team Leader - otherwise take the Manager I tried defining a mapping HR -> MV with this synch rule flow: IIF ( IsPresent(TeamLeader), TeamLeader, Manager) but I got an error saying "An attribute flow contains a function expression. Defining an inbound attribute flow containing a function expression to a metaverse reference attribute <attribute name> is not allowed." Then, I tried doing the same with a rules extension project, but when I tried to define the advanced mapping from HR to MV, I got an error saying "Defining a rules extension import attribute flow to a metaverse reference attribute is not allowed." Is there a way to populate a reference attribute with a non-direct flow, or will I have to put the logic in the database? Thanks, PaoloPaolo Tedesco - http://cern.ch/idm

I had the same problem and made all 'Supervisor' calculation logics in a SQL view from HR system. The problem is that since MIIS if an attribute is defined as a Reference in a MA you can't use in it MA rules extension - otherwise MIIS will not be able to calculate all relations correctly. The only solution to pass Manager (reference) attribute to MA rules extension is to define it as a String in MA. Then you'll have to write your own rules to search metaverse for an object with proper ID to link it as a manager for currect MVentry and so on... I had this on my Sharepoint MA and its a nightmare - imaging you have to create 2 new records in sharepoint list for employees. One of these is a manager of another one. So, lets say manager is not created first during an export run but his employee. Sharepoint will fail to add a record as there're cant be any broken references in a sharepoint lists (employee has a link to his manager which doesn't exist yet)... so better do all logics on a SQL side in HR system :)

I totally agree with you – the calculation of relationships is something sync is not really designed for. This should happen in a data source – SQL or FIM (Service). The role of sync is to preserve (referential integrity) the relationships but not to establish / calculate them. Cheers, MarkusMarkus Vilcinskas, Knowledge Engineer, Microsoft Corporation