setting up Google School Directory Sync

[YCDCN]

I need to sync users from AD to Gsuite, this includes passwords. the idea is that as they move through the school the link between SIMS and google will change the year of the pupil at the same time.

I'm probably not making much sense, but we were going to use Wonde but the setup cost was too high as we would've had to use one of their partners who wanted to charge the earth.

now it has come down to me to setup.

[DGardiner]

I need to sync users from AD to Gsuite, this includes passwords. the idea is that as they move through the school the link between SIMS and google will change the year of the pupil at the same time.

I'm probably not making much sense, but we were going to use Wonde but the setup cost was too high as we would've had to use one of their partners who wanted to charge the earth.

now it has come down to me to setup.

https://tools.google.com/dlpage/dirsync/

[paulkerton]

I assume you have something in place that creates the users from SIMS and automatically makes the changes in your AD to move them to new year groups?

 

You need Google Cloud Directory Sync on a server, and G Suite Password Sync on every DC.

Everyone will need to reset their passwords first time though, so GSPS able to capture the password change, and then inject that into G Suite.

 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/106368?hl=en

https://support.google.com/a/answer/2611859?hl=en

[bobsmith]

the making them all change their passwords is the fun bit.

 

The password change needs to be made on your domain which precludes doing it during any kind of lockdown of course....

 

I've been busy every day of this adventure resetting their passwords in AD and emailing those that never did it the first time (18months ago) when we asked them to!

[YCDCN]

I assume you have something in place that creates the users from SIMS and automatically makes the changes in your AD to move them to new year groups?

 

You need Google Cloud Directory Sync on a server, and G Suite Password Sync on every DC.

Everyone will need to reset their passwords first time though, so GSPS able to capture the password change, and then inject that into G Suite.

 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/106368?hl=en

https://support.google.com/a/answer/2611859?hl=en

 

The users are created manually (now with AD Manager Plus) in AD, we currently have RealSmart that changes the the year group but that was costing a fortune and that is finishing before the change of year.

 

i understand the School Directory Sync would do this for us, but it sounds like it won't, is that the case?

[paulkerton]

Kinda.

Google School Directory Sync will pull the users from your MIS into G Suite. It won't do the auto creation of AD users.

Google Cloud Directory Sync will pull the users from your AD into G Suite. It won't sync from your MIS to AD.

G Suite Password Sync will sync the users passwords from your AD into G Suite.

 

You'll need to do the manual move of year groups with GCDS and GSPS.

 

There isn't a free tool on the market that will sync from MIS to AD, then AD to G Suite that I'm aware of. I'm sure theres a SIMS to AD tool out there somewhere though! Anyone got any ideas?

Edited July 13, 2020 by paulkerton

[jthompson]

Most schools are probably using the GCDS/GSPS combo and managing AD manually.

 

I think GSDS is mainly for getting classes populated for Google Classroom, but I don't believe that you can use it if you're already using GCDS.

 

I don't have Salamandersoft, but that might do SIMS to both AD and G Suite for you.

[YCDCN]

The creation of users isn't my main concern, at the moment RealSmart move the user accounts on to the next year, the password sync will be nice as well.

[bobsmith]

I don't have Salamandersoft, but that might do SIMS to both AD and G Suite for you.

 

We finally got Salamander in last month and it does the whole SIMS to AD bit - then GCDS does the AD to GSuite bit - Salamander then does some more stuff like setting up groups from MIS to GSuite.

 

It's a game changer if you really don't want to manually manage all those users and groups.

 

It's not free but it's dirt cheap for what it does. Work out the man hours that you spend doing these things each year and I bet Salamander is significantly cheaper.

[jthompson]

We finally got Salamander in last month and it does the whole SIMS to AD bit - then GCDS does the AD to GSuite bit - Salamander then does some more stuff like setting up groups from MIS to GSuite.

 

It's a game changer if you really don't want to manually manage all those users and groups.

 

It's not free but it's dirt cheap for what it does. Work out the man hours that you spend doing these things each year and I bet Salamander is significantly cheaper.

 

Yeah, it's been on my shopping list for a while now.