Is it possible to export admin numbers from sims and directly in the users AD account?
I know I can run a report within sims to get this data and then use a csv file to import the data into active directory. I was hoping of a scheduled/automated way which didnt rely on any user input.
Anyone got any idea's?
Yeah, its possible, I wrote a powershell script to auto generate ad users from SIMS and as part of that we record admission numbers and upns into fields in AD.
We record the admission numbers against AD users at creation because there is no other reliable way of linking an AD user to a student in SIMS. This will be your problem with doing it automatically. How do you find the right student in AD to record the number against? Use their name to calculate a username? Surely you have name clashes which forced you to use a slightly non standard format, so that will cause problems.
I suggest you do it manually once as you suggest and then ensure that you record the number when you create any additional users.
We are in the process in developing a powershell script, where my colleague is in the process of finishing development. We have both searched for various methods in order to match students from initial creation right though to managed name changes. Some pupils' names can change, more than once in certain familial situations.
We decided on comparing the UPN and the admission number as unique fields where I created a report in sims to export all of the necessary student details. The report can be scheduled to run through the SIMS tool CommandReporter found in C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net\.
The powershell script checks all of the fields that we want it to compare and either creates, updates, enables/disables the users through a combination of student status and date of birth to auto create the intake year OU in AD.
The export only exports pupils who are on roll or pre-admissions. If the student is a leaver, they are not exported, and they have already been created in AD then the script knows that the user has left and only disables the user. The same powershell script can be run with a leavers flag to remove pupils that have been disabled. Any changes in sims are daily mirrored in AD.
Just do what I did and pay someone to do it for you! Have a look at SalamanderSoft Limited - Salamander Active Directory
What I like about it is, it dose what you need and also creates all of your class, tutor, year and house groups. I'v then built on this functanalaty and imported photos into AD using ther free tool. I'v also managed to sync all of the AD groups made by salamandersoft to my live@edu via Olysync.
For an easy life just pay for a tool to do the job.
Last edited by MicrodigitUK; 20th June 2012 at 10:13 PM.
Originally Posted by MicrodigitUK
How much does it cost?
PM sent...
SalamanderSoft is a pretty nice solution - if you've got the money to spend, well let me put it another way, assuming your smart enough to work out that it'll pay for itself and save you alot of hassle
rpwillis (16th July 2012)
I'd be interested to know how much this is as well.
I wouldn't want to mention cost on behalf of Richard, but he is on the forums @rpwillis so you could contact him as well as through the website link above.
Depending on the size of your school, i think you'd be paying less than £1 per student per year. For that package, you get an awful lot of customisation / automation.
Just as an aside. Our AD usernames are our admission numbers. Makes life so much easierIt's also used for all sorts of other systems such as ID card, library barcode, etc.
rpwillis (16th July 2012)
I am not a number!!! Oh wait, I'm 32427
You're way down the ranks! I am Number 6.
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