What is the purpose of the correlation configuration?

The correlation configuration serves a critical role in identity management by facilitating the accurate matching of accounts from various data sources to identities from authoritative sources. This process ensures that the correct user accounts are associated with the right identities, which is essential for maintaining data integrity and providing a unified view of user access and identity.

When establishing identity governance, organizations often draw data from multiple systems, such as directories, applications, and databases. Each of these systems might have different naming conventions or formats for user accounts. The correlation configuration leverages specific attributes (like email addresses, usernames, or employee IDs) to effectively link these disparate accounts to a single identity in the identity governance system. This accurate correlation is foundational for ensuring that identity management processes, such as access management and compliance reporting, are executed efficiently and accurately.

Without proper correlation, organizations could encounter challenges like duplicate identities, incorrect access rights assignments, and difficulties in reporting and audits, which can lead to security risks and compliance issues. Thus, the primary purpose of the correlation configuration is to enable this essential matching process, ensuring that identity data is reliable and actionable.