Identity & Access Management · Lesson 1 of 8
Identity, accounts, and directories
An identity represents a person or workload. Accounts and directory records help systems recognize that identity, while permissions govern its access.
One person can have several accounts
Verified employee identity from the approved HR source
- Central directoryDirectory account
Connect the account to the verified person and lifecycle record.
- Separate applicationSupport-tool account
Track its owner and provisioning path, even if it is not integrated.
Read the visualDoes disabling the directory always close the separate application account?
No. Check the integration and effective application access.
Distinguish the objects
One person may have multiple accounts across applications. Deleting a directory entry may not remove every downstream account.
Use authoritative records
Establish which approved source confirms employment, role, or ownership. A message alone may not be sufficient.
Trace the relationship
Keep stable identifiers and ownership so account actions can be linked to the right person or workload.
Put it in context
Harbor Books uses an HR record to confirm a new hire. A directory account and a separate support-tool account must both be tracked.
Know which identity an account represents and where its access exists.
Read the sources
Make it stick.
Try one short question to check your understanding and save this lesson to your progress.