Symantec Access Management

So I'm new to using CA Directory.  It appears to me that when managing DSA's, you either have to do it totally command line or totally using the management UI.  Is that correct?  From what I could tell, all DSA config is stored in the management UI DSA so if I make a command line change to a DSA, the management UI won't know and will overwrite that change the next time I make a change through the management UI.  Just want to make sure I understand.  My current directory doesn't work like that and it's management UI reads the config every time so any manual changes are reflected in the UI.  Thanks.

Your understanding is correct.

Once you create a DSA via mgmt UI, you will require to modify anything config related items via mgmt UI so it can be written to DXHOME/config/servers/dsaname.dxi file. If you modify the .dxi file manually after the fact, the mgmt UI will not reflect that change so it will be voided even though present in the .dxi file.

Once you create a DSA with command line tool (dxnewdsa) , you will not be able to see it in mgmt UI as that is a separate entity as DXagent component is not involved in this style of DSA creating process.

Hope this addresses your concern(s) and clears the doubt(s).