> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.aohwv.dev/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.aohwv.dev/core-concepts.md).

# AOH Sync Concepts

How AOH Sync models identity, and why it behaves the way it does: what an identity is, why orphans accrue risk, why a leaver triggers ownership transfers, how access decisions are made.

## What AOH Sync is

An identity data plane. It connects systems where identity data lives (HR databases, payroll, SaaS apps, CSV exports) to systems that control access (Entra ID today; Okta, AWS IAM, Google Workspace planned). It pulls data in, resolves it into one canonical record per person, scores risk, and pushes changes back out.

## Reading order

Later pages assume vocabulary from earlier ones.

1. [Philosophy](/core-concepts/philosophy.md) - principles that shape every behavior.
2. [The identity graph](/core-concepts/the-identity-graph.md) - identities, users, accounts, tenants.
3. [Lifecycle](/core-concepts/lifecycle.md) - joiner, mover, leaver, reactivation.
4. [Machine identities](/core-concepts/machine-identities.md) - service accounts and ownership.
5. [Orphans and risk scoring](/core-concepts/orphans.md) - unmatched accounts and risk.
6. [Connectors and sync](/core-concepts/connectors-and-sync.md) - source/target systems, provisioning.
7. [Posture and anomalies](/core-concepts/posture-and-anomalies.md) - health scoring and abnormal events.
8. [Access control](/core-concepts/access-control.md) - roles, permissions, backend authority.
9. [Audit and compliance](/core-concepts/audit-and-compliance.md) - the record of what happened.

## Summary

* An **identity** is the canonical record of a person, assembled from many systems.
* **Users** are accounts that can log in. **Accounts** are data records that cannot.
* **Connectors** pull data from **source systems** and push it to **target systems**.
* An **orphan** is a record that matches no identity. It accrues risk over time.
* **Lifecycle** events mark when a person joins, moves, leaves, or returns.
* **Posture** is a tenant's identity health, scored 0.0 to 1.0.
* **Access control** is decided by the backend on every request; the UI reflects it.
* The **audit trail** records every state change, tagged by compliance framework.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.aohwv.dev/core-concepts.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.