Migrate from MIM to Saviynt Without Losing Your Mind …or Your Data

Well, we can’t say they didn’t warn us. 

It’s been 4 years since Microsoft announced that support would end for Microsoft Identity Manager in January of 2029. Some organizations, particularly those with fairly simple MIM configurations that could be easily ported, were able to quickly transition to another supported solution. Businesses with complex architecture and requirements, on the other hand, face a fairly daunting task, making it easier to say, “well, maybe we’ll get to it next year.” 

It’s human nature. In the real world, we don’t have the time or the bandwidth to worry about problems coming up in 8 years when we have fires to put out today. And we had a good run, but now it’s today’s problem and we have some decisions to make. To avoid disruptions that could leave you vulnerable, you’ll need to act fast to migrate from MIM to a modern solution.

Can’t it wait another year or two? Not really. While support will remain in place until January 2029, MIM is technically frozen in time. With no future planned for this application, there will be no major updates. Well-supported modern tools receive ongoing feature upgrades to ensure that your organization receives the best protection available, even as cybercriminals evolve and adapt their methods. 

Why Begin Your Migration Journey Now?

As the saying goes, “The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” Migrating from MIM to Saviynt is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning and skillful execution. You’ll need time to get your teams trained and certified to support your new tool and ensure that they are ready to manage this complex and high-stakes transformation.  

The January 2029 end-of-support date for MIM may seem far off, but delaying your migration plan carries significant risks. You could find it impossible to maintain compliance or end up rushing your migration at the last minute, out of time and out of options.

What are the Benefits of a Modern, Scalable Solution?

Focusing on just the consequences of failing to migrate away from MIM is such a buzzkill. It’s hard to get leadership excited about an IAM transformation if you make it all about mitigating some far away threat. The truth is that the benefits of making this transition are compelling, including: 

• Boosting Operational Efficiency Through Automation: Legacy systems like MIM often rely on manual processes for user provisioning, access requests, and approvals. A modern platform with robust automation capabilities streamlines these workflows, freeing up IT staff to work on your strategic priorities. 
• Enhanced Agility and Adaptability: As MIM fades into obsolescence, it will be unable to adapt to meet the needs of your growing business. Next-gen IAM solutions offer the flexibility to adapt quickly to changing business needs, such as integrating new applications, accommodating mergers and acquisitions, and scaling to support growth. 
• Improved User Experience = Higher Productivity: Modern IAM platforms often feature intuitive self-service portals for password resets, access requests, and profile management. This reduces your end-users reliance on IT support, enhancing their overall productivity. 
• Reduced Risk: Modern IAM goes far beyond basic security, with features like adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA), granular access controls, real-time risk analytics, and automated enforcement of segregation of duties. 
• An IAM That Enables Without Getting in the Way: By providing secure and seamless access to the right resources at the right time, a modern IAM facilitates collaboration, innovation, and the adoption of new technologies and cloud services. 
• Streamlined Compliance: Modern IAM platforms offer comprehensive audit trails, detailed reporting capabilities, and automated policy enforcement, making it easier to meet increasingly complex regulatory requirements. 
• Business Insights Through Advanced Analytics: Modern IAM solutions provide valuable insights into user access patterns, potential security risks, and operational inefficiencies. These advanced analytics help you make better, more informed decisions regarding access governance, security policies, and resource allocation.

KeyData Cyber’s Approach to Accelerating MIM Migration

We’ve been there and done that. Our experienced team brought unparalleled expertise to their recent work supporting a global asset management company through their migration from MIM to Saviynt. Their specialized five-step approach included tailored solutions designed to accelerate the process.

1. Architectural Vision: Recognizing that out-of-the-box connectors weren’t enough, our solutions architects and SMEs designed a framework for the new Saviynt implementation that was purpose-built to meet the client's complex requirements, edge cases, and scalability needs.
2. Deep Understanding of Existing System and Unique Edge Cases: Understanding the client’s requirements meant identifying any specific and non-standard "edge cases" beyond typical lifecycle events. Identifying these unique scenarios is a key accelerator in the requirements gathering process.
3. Custom Writeback Logic for HR System Integration: Our experts developed and applied custom "writeback logic" to facilitate seamless integration between the client's Workday HR system (the authoritative source of identity data) and Saviynt. 
4. Reducing the Need for Manual Intervention: By properly connecting the HR system and Active Directory and configuring the joiner/mover/leaver lifecycle workflows in Saviynt, our teams were able to automate processes that were largely manual in the client's previous MIM setup. 
5. Application Onboarding: We integrated the client's applications into Saviynt to provide centralized visibility and governance over user access. Focusing first on quick wins with available connectors, we prioritized the onboarding of 40 applications considered "low-hanging fruit" with simpler integrations. This allowed them to demonstrate quick value before tackling more complex systems like ServiceNow. Then we moved on to more complex integrations requiring more support or custom connectors. 

This successful migration was a complex undertaking due to the different underlying logic of the two systems. Our innovative approach to the logic transition of core identity lifecycle (JML) management processes from MIM to Saviynt was a significant value-add, ensuring a "seamless transition" for the client. 

Tomorrow’s Problem is Now Today’s Mandate 

In our experience, complex migrations require careful planning, coordination, strategy, and specialized support. By starting your assessment and planning now, you can lay the foundation for a successful transition away from MIM, ensuring enhanced security, streamlined operations, and a future-proof identity management infrastructure. 

We specialize in implementations and migrations with complex requirements. Our engineers routinely develop custom-built connectors to facilitate automation and design bespoke solutions for your unique edge cases. Contact KeyData Cyber to see how we can accelerate your migration from MIM to Saviynt, so you can get back to doing what’s most important. Don't wait until the last minute – begin your journey today.