Duplicate Username Problem

[Andie]

I've been using the Provisioning Wizard to add users in bulk. I decided to use the alias mode for usernames, which generates a username of first name and initial of surname, as this seemed ideal for younger children to type in (and we have some children here with very long surnames). The problem is that LNM threw up an error because two of our children have the same first name and initial for their surname. LNM will only create one of them as a user. I thought it would be able to cope, and would automatically add a 2 or something to the second one, but it doesn't.

 

I'm not experienced in creating users from scratch in AD. Any helpful suggestions? We're using Server 2003.

[elsiegee40]

Just take a chosen user in the correct AD group (one in the same year or class or however they're organised)

 

Right click and choose copy

 

Rename all the appropriate bits - Put the correct first name/ surname and logon of your choice, put %username% instead of the logon at the end of the path for the home directory and profile (if used) and these will be created in the same name as the logon.

 

We have a huge number of duplicate names here despite having a small number of children.

 

We use the year of entry to prefix the logon, then first name and then initial of surname

 

So a Year 2 called alice smith gets the logon 04AliceS as she joined reception in 2004

 

This eliminates most duplicates, except in Year 4 where there are 3 Alices, 2 Alexes and 4 Emilys!

 

I've had to go for 02AlexRh 02AlexRi to separate the Alexes!

[Ric_]

I find year of entry, initial and surname avoids most duplicates. It's just whe you have evil parents who have twins and they decide to give them both the same first initial that you run into problems!

[elsiegee40]

The reason we use forename is because our children are so young and their forename is something they learn to spell first. We have children joining the school from the age of 3 months (no they don't get logons then!)

 

We opted for the year they join reception as historically that was when they started IT lessons... However our rising 5s class have logons too now... meaning the 07 logons were issued in September 06!

 

We also try to use the abbreviated forename that the child uses as well... so the Alexandras are Alex... it gives the tinies some hope of logging on before the end of the day! It's worth chatting to the form teacher as you will often find that one madeline is maddy and the other maddie.

[Andie]

Thanks for the help with AD, and put in language I can understand too!

 

I could do it that way, but having played around with things it looks like I would then have a pupil outside of Learning Network Manager. That is, I can go from LNM to AD, but not from AD to LNM, or so it seems. This would mean that when I promote the pupils to their new years in September using LNM, I would have to then do a small group of pupils manually in AD as well. Maybe the simplest work around for now would be to add a 2 to the end of the first name of the duplicate pupil in the csv import file.

 

By the way, elsiegee40, are you sure your 3 month old pupils shouldn't be getting their own e-portfolios?? :twisted: