Identity refresh failed
Quick answer
Refresh problems usually come from rule errors, bad attribute mappings or policy evaluation failures. The task result and logs pinpoint the step.
Key takeaways
- Symptom: An identity refresh task failed or produced wrong results.
- Most likely causes
- Step-by-step fixes
- How to prevent recurrence
An identity refresh task failed, or completed but produced wrong results, incorrect attributes, missing role assignments, unfired lifecycle events. Because refresh is where data becomes governance outcomes, refresh problems have wide downstream impact.
Start here: read the evidence
Read the refresh task result to find which step failed, then check whether any rules or mappings changed recently. Refresh runs correlation, attribute mapping, role assignment and policy, so identifying the failing step is key.
Likely causes, in order
- Error in a refresh or correlation rule, often a null-pointer on a missing attribute.
- Bad or missing attribute mapping, so identity attributes are wrong.
- Policy evaluation failure during refresh.
- Stale source data, a missed aggregation means refresh works on old data.
How to fix it
- Read the task result to locate the failing step.
- Review any recently changed rules for null-safety and logic errors.
- Verify identity attribute mappings against the authoritative source.
- Re-aggregate sources if the underlying data is stale.
- Re-run refresh and validate a sample identity end to end.
Preventing recurrence
Test rule changes in a lower environment, add null-safety to every rule, and sequence aggregation before refresh so cubes are always computed from current data.
Common pitfalls
- Guessing instead of reading the task/transaction result, which usually names the cause.
- Fixing the symptom, not the root cause, so it returns.
- Changing several things at once, so you cannot tell what worked.
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Check your understanding
What commonly breaks refresh?
- A. Re-aggregate the sources before refreshing.
- B. Read the task result and logs.
- C. Rule errors, bad attribute mappings or policy failures.
Show answer
C. Rule errors, bad attribute mappings or policy failures.
Rule errors, bad attribute mappings or policy failures.
How do you locate the step?
- A. Rule errors, bad attribute mappings or policy failures.
- B. Re-aggregate the sources before refreshing.
- C. Read the task result and logs.
Show answer
C. Read the task result and logs.
Read the task result and logs.
What if data is stale?
- A. Re-aggregate the sources before refreshing.
- B. Rule errors, bad attribute mappings or policy failures.
- C. Read the task result and logs.
Show answer
A. Re-aggregate the sources before refreshing.
Re-aggregate the sources before refreshing.