State of knowledge

August 2022

MetaDirectory 5 Enterprise is the new generation and further development of the powerful directory service MetaDirectory 4 Enterprise


Brief description

MetaDirectory 5 Enterprise merges existing, distributed contact databases into a company-wide information service based on LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). It processes names, addresses, phone numbers, images and customer-specific information in a standardized way and enables an efficient and customizable search. Using the import replicators, any number of source databases can be connected and their contact data records read. Contact data from common CRM and ERP systems (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics products incl. Dynamics365, Salesforce, Exchange folders incl. Office365, HCL Notes, G Suite (Google Apps for Work) or DATEV can be integrated into unified communication and portal solutions with minimal effort. In addition, telephone book providers such as "Das Telefonbuch" from TVG Verlag, "11880.com (formerly "klickTel"), "TwixTel", "Swisscom Directories" can also be connected as data sources.

Web-based services enable users to access the system directly from various clients and end devices, especially mobile phones and smartphones. Thanks to secure protocols such as LDAPs and HTTPS, it is possible to securely access all relevant contact data anytime and anywhere. In addition, export replicators are available for writing to CSV/XML files and Active Directory. This way, the prepared data can be made available for third-party applications easily and automatically. Thanks to the integrated user administration (integrated/ProCall Enterprise/ActiveDirectory with Windows authentication), access to the available data sources can be managed centrally at the user level, thus enabling simple and above all secure company-wide provision of this important contact information and thus serving as the basis for implementing the "need-to-know" principle.

In addition to IPv4, MetaDirectory 5 Enterprise also supports IPv6. This, together with the new 64-bit architecture and the support of the latest Windows Server generation from Microsoft (Microsoft Windows Server 2019), form the basis for this future-proof software solution.

Replicators provide the connection to the individual data sources and ensure data reconciliation with MetaDirectory 5 Enterprise. The assignment of the source data fields to the fields used by MetaDirectory 5 Enterprise can also be done on a project-specific basis using a field assignment wizard. This allows special, company-specific fields to be included in the search. The data stored in MetaDirectory can be updated at individually configurable replication intervals.

Licensing

The licensing is per user. Each user always requires a license, regardless of whether they access the MetaDirectory directly or indirectly, anonymously or authenticated. A user can access MetaDirectory in parallel with up to four different devices (e.g. UCClient, mobile app, desktop terminal, DECT terminal, ...). In the case of indirect access, the correct licensing of the users (named user) must be ensured to avoid a violation of the estos license agreement.

  • Per user (Named User)
  • Trial license with a test period of 45 days available

Performance features

  • Windows Server Service
  • Simple installation in the familiar estos style
  • LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) server with intelligent services for matching data and their presentation (LDAP V3 or LDAP V2 compatible LDAP server)
  • Intelligent preparation and presentation of data from various data sources (e.g. relevant employee and customer contact data such as telephone numbers or contact details)
  • Uniform format (LDAP) for the view with various access options
  • Efficient search, even in large and distributed databases (parameterized, full-text search)
  • Intranet and Extranet address book with presence and Click2Dial support
  • Standardization and normalization of contacts from the various data sources
  • User management for the protection of important data and as a basis for implementing the "need-to-know" principle
  • Easy to set up replication profiles
  • Search via end devices possible

System requirements

See MetaDirectory 5 system requirements

Tip

MetaDirectory 5 supports connection to Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 and EWS Exchange Web Services. Only secure connections with TLS 1.2 are supported.

Release notes

For changes and additions, please refer to the release note for the current product version (Release notes).

Notes on the upgrade process

Before you upgrade/update an older MetaDirectory version to MetaDirectory 5, please read the notes on the upgrade process.

Discontinuations/removed features/notes on third-party products no longer supported

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Windows 7 (the support by Microsoft ended January 2020)
  • Herold Telephone directories
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer

Administration

  • Simple wizard-based commissioning and configuration
  • Administration interface also for remote administration
  • Integrated webserver
  • Virtualizable VMWare/HyperV
  • Can be used across different locations (MultiSite/MultiVendor)
  • Custom user administration
  • Access authorizations can be managed directly from the Active Directory or from ProCall

Database connection

  • Unlimited number of connectable data sources
  • Connection of classical data sources and modern WebService interfaces
  • Field assignment wizard for easy assignment of database fields
  • Aggregation and manipulation (via regular expressions) of data fields
  • Multiple assignments of data fields
  • Location dependent automatic phone number normalization
  • Configurable dynamically created links to open the contact in its leading application (CEBP)
  • Replication schedule from "every minute" to fixed times
  • Automatic initiation of upstream or downstream applications for each replicator
  • 20 user-defined data fields (CEPB)

Intelligent separation of the components for data storage and replication

    • Four components: MetaDirectory Server, integrated web server, phonebook connections and replicators: Import replicators (native, ODBC and custom) and export replicators
    • Templates (Web and LDAP) for a variety of IP phones
    • Use in business-critical environments through separate data storage

Supported data sources & applications

Available replicators

  • Active Directory/Global Catalogs
  • Custom Replicator
  • DATEV SDD (32bit)
  • Exact Online
  • Google Contacts
  • HCL Notes (32 bit) 9-11
  • LDAP (OpenLDAP, NDS, Public Directories)
  • MetaDirectory
  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM/Dynamics 365
  • Microsoft Exchange Webservices (EWS)/Microsoft Office 365
  • Microsoft Graph
  • ODBC (32-Bit) (Access, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, …)
  • ODBC (64-Bit) (Access, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, …)
  • Salesforce SOAP Webservice
  • Steps Business Solution
  • Text CSV File

Examples of connectable solutions

  • Microsoft CRM, NAV, AX *
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365
  • Microsoft Exchange Server
  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Google Apps for Work/G Suite
  • HCL Notes (formerly IBM Notes)
  • SAP CRM *
  • SAP R/3 *
  • SAP Business One *
  • SalesForce CRM
  • Sugar CRM *
  • Cobra CRM * PRO/PLUS, adress PLUS
  • CAS Genesis World
  • ES Office
  • Sage ACT! *, CRM *
  • DATEV pro
  • Schleupen CS *
  • Das Telefonbuch of the TVG Verlags
  • TwixTel
  • 11880.com (formerly klickTel Server)
  • Swisscom Directories
  • Microsoft Teams:

* via ODBC replicator

If you are missing a data source or application, you can send us a request at https://www.estos.de/kontakt or open a support ticket with your request.


Access permissions

  • Authentication with internal user administration
  • Authentication with estos ProCall Enterprise User management
  • Authentication with Active Directory (users/groups)
  • Configurable access profiles
  • Access rights per LDAP node configurable via IP range
  • Binding of the LDAP server to dedicated network interfaces possible
  • Binding of the webserver to dedicated network interfaces possible

Search functions

  • Special high-performance phone number search
  • Special high-performance name search
  • Customizable parameterizable search
  • Full-text search
  • Company search
  • Configurable wildcard search
  • Contact Merge

Connection to clients

  • LDAP v2/v3 compatible
  • LDAP via TLS
  • Automatic Windows login authentication in Windows domains
  • Location dependent number formatting
  • Terminal-specific telephone number formatting
  • Mobile device-specific display of results
  • Support of contact photos
  • Web server for HTTP and XML via HTTP
  • HTTP via TLS

Preconfigured client interfaces

  • LDAP-enabled telephone systems
  • LDAP-enabled end devices
  • End devices with XML browsers
  • Telephone systems with XML push services
  • WebClient for Intranet
  • WebClient for Smartphones/Tablets
  • WebClient for Cisco Jabber
  • Microsoft Outlook Global Address Book
  • Apple OSX Address book
  • Apple iOS Address book
  • estos ProCall Enterprise
  • Third-party UC solutions
  • Active Directory Export Replicator
  • CSV Export Replicator
  • XML Export Replicator
  • More on request

Statistical functions

  • Number of data records
  • Number of open LDAP connections
  • Number of open HTTP connections
  • Monitoring via Windows performance indicators

Certifications

  • VMware ready
  • Certified for Windows Server 2012 R2

Language versions 

Administration

  • German (Standard) – de-DE
  • English (United States) – en-US

Language Packs Web Portal

Localization in German, English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian – others on request

Installation

  • about existing .msi Datei

Configuration

  • Via MetaDirectory Administrator for configuration, administration and maintenance
  • Replicators via replicator wizard

Performance

The performance of search queries and the possible query volume via the MetaDirectory depends on:

  • Number of users who start search queries
  • Time intervals for search queries
  • Number of data records
  • Scope of the search (e.g. full-text search)

Further information