Logins for every child.

[Jiser]

Looking for advise on how to create logins for every child with their initials as their user name and password on Windows Server 2003 (standard). Without doing it the manual way!!

 

Was thinking their must be a way to import names via sims to AD some how?

 

p.s. Its a juniors

[Nick_Parker]

We had a way of using Excel to generate a CSV file, then imported that somehow, I'll try find the instructions for you, did it about 5 years ago when our DC died...

[teejay]

dsadd lets you add users from the command line, dsmod lets you alter existing users. Google for these to get how they are used then export the users from SIMS to a text file and a bit of creative use of Excel and wordpad will give you a batch file you can run.

Tip, it is VERY useful to stick their admissions number from SIMS into a field in active directory so that when you have two users with the same name or initials you have a definitive field to figure out which is which!

[ChrisH]

You want a spreadsheet with a formula to create names from their name columns and this:

 

Mikey Magic's Web Site - Active User Manager for Windows 2000 & 2003 Active Directory (AD)

 

You start with an export from Sims/CMIS/Whatever with columns like FirstName,LastName,YearGroup

 

Then add your own username column and make a formula to create the username from the other columns. Add extra columns fro passwords etc. You can create home folder paths by selecting all the users in a year > properties > and set home folder as \\server\share\yeargroup\%username%

Edited October 13, 2008 by ChrisH

[maniac]

Without using 3rd party software, your best bet is CSVDE, which is a utility that comes with Server 2003. You will need to preapre a CSV file from SIMS with the correct data in, but that shouldn't take too long.

 

Good article explaining how it works here;

 

CSVDE - Examples Import Export of user accounts Active Directory

 

Mike.

 

EDIT: or you could use the utillity that ChrisH has posted, it looks easier than CSVDE!

[ChrisH]

or you could use the utillity that ChrisH has posted, it looks easier than CSVDE!

 

I also posted a vbs file a couple of years ago. I never did get round to finishing the GUI. The app I linked to is great though I have used it the last 2 years for the new intake.

[maniac]

I also posted a vbs file a couple of years ago. I never did get round to finishing the GUI. The app I linked to is great though I have used it the last 2 years for the new intake.

 

I've just downloaded it myself to try, been looking for a decent (free) program for importing users. I've always used CSVDE (until I changed jobs to a CC3 network that is) which is OK once you've worked out how to format the CSV file, but this looks a whole lot easier and may come in handy if we decide to ditch CC3 next year.

 

I did have a go at writing my own VB.NET program based on a (probably the same) VBS script, but never got the time to finish it.

 

Mike.

Edited October 13, 2008 by maniac

[Jiser]

Cheers chaps ill try it next time I am in! Looks good stuff.

 

In the mean time its interview preparation.

[dhicks]

Was thinking their must be a way to import names via sims to AD some how?

 

I really will sort out my SIMS-to-AD Python script Real Soon Now...

 

--

David Hicks

[jcollings]

I use this tool and it's fantastic. A big thanks to the author for it - it has saved me hours this term.

 

WiseSoft - Account Management. Bulk Create User Accounts with Excel Spreadsheet.

[EduTech]

can 2nd wisesoft... i have used that bit of kit does the job nicely

[DSapseid]

3rd for wisesoft is really easy to use.

[CyberNerd]

I really will sort out my SIMS-to-AD Python script Real Soon Now...

 

speak to penfold_99 he has a good vb script that works, I think he just needs some encouragement to document and release it

[Gatt]

Use Dovestones ADBI too!

Though getting the CSV template to work was tricky but think that was down to column header orders..

[Stuart_C]

Personally, MIS + Excel + Dsadd + mkdir + subinacl = all users created in 30 seconds! Love it

 

..OK admittedly it took me about a day initially to create the excel spreadsheet I use to take my SIMS export and create the dsadd commands but after that away you go.

 

You also will probably need to make use of another windows command line tool called "subinacl" which allows you to modify the security on folders. For some reason I found that if you use dsadd to create the user it doesn't create the home drive and seure it the same way it does if you use the manual way of user creation.

[penfold_99]

I have a vbscript pulls all the information needed for user creation (including home folder creation) from sims.net, this can then runs as a scheduled task every night, so when admin staff enrol a student their account will be ready the next day.

 

the script create users in the format

 

[intake year][firstname initial][middle initial][surname]

 

this normally stops the need for numbers at the end of the username.

 

Plus it has the added benefit of putting all the information into AD for moodle to integrate with SIMS.net

Edited October 14, 2008 by penfold_99
left out a good bit

[kennysarmy]

AddUsers Automates Creation of a Large Number of Users

 

i still use this with no probs under 2003.

 

combined with some batch files !

 

works a treat.

[Stuart_C]

Just out of curiousity is there a reason people use 3rd party tools to create users when Win2K3 server has a number of tools to create them relatively easilly for you?

 

I understand buying tools to do things the server doesn't but to do things the server does? Personally I quite enjoyed rying to figure out how to use "dsadd" and script my user creation, now it's easy and I feel like I learnt something.

[HodgeHi]

There is also a vbs script in the AD-OD sandbox file. I used this to import my users into AD for the OD integration.

 

The script creates the users, builds the home dir path home drive letter and creates the My Documents folder and assigns the users permissions to that folder as well. It imports the script from a CSV file that is relatively easy to get from SIMS although i would love to do this automatically.