Preparing to replicate an extended directory catalog

An extended directory catalog (EDC) can be used to aggregate entries from multiple Domino® directories and replicate the entries to the service. An EDC is supported for read-only use in the service. This procedure is useful only for companies that have more than one Domino directory.

About this task

In an environment with multiple Domino directories, aggregating the directories into an EDC improves directory lookup performance.

Aggregating a Domino directory that contains service users into an EDC is recommended for directory lookup performance. However, you must also replicate the full Domino directory to the service, separately.

Although the use of multiple EDCs is supported, for ease of management, use one.

To prepare to replicate an EDC to the service during directory synchronization, perform the following steps.

Procedure

  1. Set up the EDC to aggregate all the directories that you want to make available in the service. For more information, see the topic on setting up an extended directory catalog in the Domino documentation.
    Note: The EDC must comply with the requirements specific to the service. For example, specific fields must be aggregated into an EDC. For information, see the information about the EDC described in the topic Requirements for synchronized directories.
  2. Create a replica of the EDC on each directory synchronization server and on each mail hub server in the on-premises hub domain. Also make sure that the directories aggregated in it are kept up-to-date by the Dircat task.
  3. Verify that a unique Domino domain is specified in the directory profile:
    1. Open the EDC.
    2. Click Actions > Edit Directory Profile.
    3. Verify that the Domain defined by this Domino Directory field specifies a unique Domino domain for the directory. If necessary, add a domain name that is unique in your environment to this field.
      Note: The Pre-configuration Test tool that you run to check your on-premises environment during service configuration also verifies the domain name.
  4. To enable the EDC to be used for free-time lookups, set up your mail hub servers in the on-premises hub domain to use directory assistance to find the EDC. Directory assistance is not required on the directory synchronization servers or passthru servers. For information on directory assistance, see the Domino documentation.
    1. Create a directory assistance database on one primary mail hub server.
    2. Create a directory assistance document in that database for the extended directory catalog. Configure the document to point to at least one replica of the EDC on a directory synchronization server or primary mail hub server. Configure the document to point to additional EDC replicas to provide failover.
    3. If you use an additional primary mail hub server, replicate the directory assistance database to that server. Schedule regular replication of the directory assistance database between the two mail hub servers.