TDILabjam – a nice bunch of TDI enthusiasts
If you’ve ever been responsible for administering HCL Connections, you’ll know that Tivoli Directory Integrator (TDI), or as it’s officially called these days, IBM Security Directory Integrator, remains a crucial tool in your admin toolkit.
Wait, what’s TDI and why does it matter?
In a nutshell, TDI is a flexible data integration tool that syncs user and profile data between your corporate directories, databases, and HCL Connections. It’s what keeps things like user profiles, group memberships, and organizational data consistent and up to date. Without it, Connections wouldn’t know who’s who or how they relate within your organization.
If you’re completely new to TDI—or just need a refresher—there’s a fantastic YouTube playlist with lots of training videos that explain TDI in detail:
👉 Learn TDI with this training series
But here’s the thing:
For many of us, it can be years between those moments when we actually need to touch a TDI AssemblyLine. By the time the next change comes around, you’ve probably forgotten half of what you knew. You open the Config Editor and… blank stare.
Sound familiar?
Well, you’re not alone—and thankfully, there’s help.
A Community That Keeps the TDI Flame Alive
I want to point out a fantastic community resource for anyone who, like me, struggles to recall all the TDI nuances when you need them most.
There’s a Discord community set up by none other than Eddie Hartman, a friendly Scandinavian who worked for the original company where TDI was created before it was acquired by IBM. Eddie has spent his entire working life building and refining assembly lines. He’s now retired, but he still generously shares his wisdom with those of us who only dabble in TDI occasionally.
If you ever find yourself stuck—or just want to learn from someone who’s truly seen it all—this Discord server is a goldmine.
👉 Join the TDI Discord Community
Seriously, it’s worth joining if there’s any chance that you’re going to open the TDI editor in the next years.
Handy Reference for User Functions and Connections specific training
While we’re on the topic of TDI help, here’s another useful link you might want to keep in your toolkit:
👉 TDI User Functions Reference
This site provides a detailed reference for TDI user functions you can use in your assembly lines—an absolute lifesaver when you’re trying to recall the right syntax for a function you haven’t touched in years.
And if you want to go a step further and see how TDI is used specifically for HCL Connections, there’s an excellent video that covers the essentials for this exact use case:
👉 Watch TDI Solutions Best Practices with IBM Connections Deployments
Bottom line: TDI may not be something you use every day, but when you need it, you really need it. With Eddie’s Discord community and the right reference material, you don’t have to struggle alone.
Have you had your own “long time no TDI” moment? Or do you have other tips and resources that help you when working with assembly lines? Drop a comment and share!
Resources
TDIing out loud – blog site from Eddie Hartman
Learn TDI – Training video’s on YouTube
TDI User Functions Reference – useful functions to convert your data
TDI Solutions Best Practices with IBM Connections Deployments – Panagenda webinar
