An IT Commons Directory Services working group looked at the future of directory services at U-M with the goal of doing a better job of IT service provisioning. In their November 2003 final report, they recommended that a business case for an enterprise directory be written as the next step.
In February 2004, the project was launched as a joint project of ITCS and MAIS. Working with groups from all three campuses, Amy Brooks led a team that wrote a business case for the directory. The business case was submitted to the University's executive officers in November 2004 as a request for funding for the project.
The executive officers asked that a vendor be selected and project details be fleshed out so that a more accurate cost estimate could be determined.
RFP Issued and Policies Recommended
As recommended in the business case, groups were created to design and govern the directory.
Luke Tracy of ITCS led the Design Team, which issued a Request for Proposals and selected a vendor for the software to be used for the Enterprise Directory. The Design Team produced an RFP that lays out the architecture of the directory and its technical requirements.
Liz Salley of MAIS led the Governance Board, which was and is responsible for interpreting and communicating policies and guidelines for the data as related to Enterprise Directory Service usage. The Governance Board produced recommentations for data use and access. This document is a high-level blueprint of the directory's functionality:
