Leverage the Identity Fabric Approach to Modernize IAM
A comprehensive guide to migrating your identity and access management infrastructure to the cloud using the Atricore Identity Fabric
Download PDFExecutive Summary
Many scenarios call for a migration from one identity and access management (IAM) system to another. Whether driven by compliance requirements, security needs, scalability challenges, or end-of-life software, organizations need a clear strategy for modernizing their IAM infrastructure.
This whitepaper examines the key drivers for IAM migration, compares migration approaches (Big Bang vs. Phased), explores cloud architecture options (Single Cloud vs. Multi-Cloud), and introduces the Atricore Identity Fabric (AIF) as a solution for accelerating multi-cloud migrations.
The Identity Fabric approach builds around an abstraction layer that breaks coupling between your IT and the specifics of the underlying IAM stack, independently of where it resides.
Why Migrate Your IAM?
Common reasons organizations need to migrate their identity infrastructure
Compliance
The IAM system no longer meets legal requirements. Cybersecurity and privacy regulations have become progressively tighter across all industries, with new laws like SOX, HIPAA, regional data protections, and financial services directives.
Security
Stricter standards require tighter data management including encryption throughout data lifecycles, audit trails, specific identity proofing and authentication requirements.
Usability
A growing organization brings new challenges. User accounts, roles and attributes may expand until the IAM system reaches or exceeds its limits, causing slow logins or management problems.
Architecture
An aging IAM system cannot always maintain pace with changing integration methods and authentication capabilities. Integration with modern applications or cloud services can become awkward or impossible.
Cost
Legacy systems can become costly and inefficient to maintain as technicians move on to newer technologies or the pool of available talent shrinks.
End-of-Life
When vendors cease support for your IAM software, running unsupported software creates unacceptable business risks, making a replacement system necessary.
Migration Approaches
Two main strategies for handling IAM migration projects
Big Bang Migration
Also known as 'rip & replace', this approach extracts data from the legacy system, imports it into a new one, and reconfigures all related applications for all users in one go.
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Simpler scheduling with predefined time window - Users often won't notice the difference
- Higher risk if issues occur during migration
Phased Migration
Keep both systems running in parallel while migrating target applications one at a time and gradually decommissioning the old system.
- Monitor migration process step by step
- Lower risk with incremental approach
- Services remain available during transition
Cloud Architecture Options
Moving your IAM to the cloud reduces operational costs and shifts IT expenditure to pay-as-you-go
Single Cloud
Relying on a single service provider typically shortens time-to-market with "out of the box" services (MFA, SSO, etc.).
Risk: Vendor lock-in. Choose a provider that relies on IAM standards (OIDC, SAML, SCIM, FIDO) to ensure future migration flexibility.
Multi-Cloud
A 'best of breed' approach where you mix and match pure play solutions aligned with your IT ecosystem and budget constraints.
Recommendation: If your organization is medium to large, assume your IAM will be multi-cloud. The complexity of the cloud ecosystem makes it unlikely that a single vendor covers all requirements.
The Atricore Identity Fabric (AIF)
"Identity Fabrics are focused on delivering a scalable, comprehensive set of identity services to developers and to the users of digital services, and form the core of modern IAM." — Kuppinger Cole
No-Code Approach
Model-driven multi-cloud identity encourages participation of both technical and business stakeholders. Analysis and decisions happen based on a visual model with a bird's eye view of the IAM ecosystem.
IAM Cloud-Agnostic
The abstraction layer de-couples your IT from the specifics of the underlying IAM stack. Your IAM is no longer a friction point - it is fully aligned with your IT strategy.
Pre-integrated with End-of-Life IAM
Bring modern SSO and MFA to on-premises applications without changing code. Replace deprecated WAM systems like CA Siteminder, IBM Tivoli Access, and Oracle Access Manager.
Just-in-Time Synchronization
Import accounts to the new system and validate passwords against the old back-end on first login. The new IAM system rehashes and saves the password transparently.
How It Works
The four-stage process for modernizing your IAM with the Identity Fabric
Discovery
Define your current state
A bird's eye view shown in an IAM blueprint where all unnecessary implementation details remain hidden. Discovery is a mostly automated and continuous process.
Design
Define the future state
Identify the target state in terms of IAM - which building blocks (IDaaS, IT components) need to be introduced and how they will interact.
Migration
Shift incrementally
Deploy the IAM Migration Agent as a bridge between legacy and modern infrastructure, allowing seamless operation while both systems run in parallel.
Evolution
Decommission and iterate
Once complete, decommission the legacy IAM solution. Management can be performed visually through the universal IAM model.
Key Benefits
Reduce Infrastructure up to 90%
Replace deprecated on-prem WAM systems
No Code Changes Required
Bring modern SSO and MFA to legacy apps
Avoid Vendor Lock-in
Cloud-agnostic abstraction layer
Transparent User Experience
Just-in-time identity synchronization
Visual IAM Management
Universal IAM model instead of multiple interfaces
Future-Proof Architecture
Enable future migrations with little disruption
Ready to Modernize Your IAM?
Learn how Atricore can support your IAM modernization initiative for both workforce and customer applications.