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Male programmer running manual scripts on 3 different screens during an active directory synchronisation project.

Ditch the script, embrace efficiency

Automated DirSync vs. manual methods

Posted 21/12/2024

Managing user data across Active Directory (AD), Entra, and Google Groups can be a complex task.  Manually scripting exports and imports is time-consuming, prone to errors, and lacks the capabilities for ongoing synchronisation. 

This blog delves into the advantages of using an automated directory synchronisation tool compared to the time-consuming and error-prone approach of manual scripting with CSV files. 

The scripting struggle: slow, error-prone, limited 

Imagine spending hours writing and maintaining scripts, only to worry about errors during data transfers. Manual processes are prone to errors during both the export and import phases, especially when dealing with complex extended attributes, Google Groups, and their memberships.  

Here’s why manual scripting for DirSync is a recipe for frustration: 

  • Error handling: scripts require constant monitoring and repetitive execution, leaving room for human error. Identifying and fixing these errors can be a time-consuming nightmare. 
  • User matching: manually defining rules for identifying, matching, and updating user data across directories is a complex and laborious task. 
  • Handling all attributes: scripts often struggle with complex multi-valued attributes like Group Memberships, proxyAddresses and rewriting attributes such as email addresses and UPN, as well as other complex attributes, leading to data inconsistencies. 
  • Password sync: manually syncing passwords and Security Identifier (SID) history is a difficult feat beyond the capabilities of most scripts. 
  • Security concerns: manual processes lack built-in safeguards, increasing therisk of accidental deletions or unauthorised modifications. 

Managing new joiners and leavers, as well as name changes all becomes more difficult the longer the project runs for. Without continual updates, the target data quickly becomes stale. 

This is why CSV exports and imports are typically suited for one-time exercises rather than continuous synchronisation operations.  

The good news is that there is a better way.  

The power of using a DirSync tool

PowerSyncPro, our dedicated DirSync tool, offers many benefits that overcome the limitations of manual scripting. Our tool synchronises multiple Active Directories, Azure Entra ID, and Google Groups seamlessly. It allows you to automate the entire process, saving you time and ensuring accuracy. 

PowerSyncPro is equipped with a user-friendly graphical interface and a comprehensive dashboard capable of scoping, matching, attribute rewrites, and reporting.  Highly scalable, PowerSyncPro runs automatically every 30 minutes, or on your preferred schedule, ensuring your directories stay in sync without any manual intervention. 

Here’s how it saves you effort, time, and money:  

  • Effortless management: PowerSyncPro handles all your user data, including complex attributes like proxyAddresses, Managers, UPNs, passwords, and email address for a seamless synchronisation. 
  • Peace of mind: features like our ‘What-If’ reports allow you to preview updates, additions, and deletions before they happen, minimising errors. You can also review individual synchronisation items in our ‘Single Object’ report for additional process control. 
  • Complete user provisioning: PowerSyncPro enables you to seamlessly manage group memberships, complex attribute rewrites, such as different UPN and email address, object renames, additions, and deletions. You can also easily synchronise passwords (including modern Kerberos passwords) and SID history for a more complete user provisioning experience. 
  • No more group management: scripting Google Groups can be particularly complex, especially when mapping them to Entra ID target types.  PowerSyncPro effortlessly manages renames, additions, and deletions, ensuring up-to-date group memberships are maintained. 

Scope

PowerSyncPro can sync from AD to AD, AD to Entra, Entra to AD, Entra to Entra, Google to AD or Google to Entra 

Password synchronisation & handling complex scenarios

When synchronising AD to AD. PowerSyncPro will synchronise passwords, even if the legacy passwords RC4 and the NTHash / NTLM has been disabled in your environments. We will sync modern passwords that are Kerberos. 

Cost savings

While there is an associated cost with utilising any DirSync tool, this is offset by the substantial savings in the human hours required for manual script development and monitoring. 

Explore pricing

Proven solution

Notably, PowerSyncPro is trusted by numerous Global Enterprise Organisations for synchronising hundreds of thousands of objects within minutes, with references available upon request. 

If you’re tired of manually handling directory synchronisation, PowerSyncPro is the simple solution. 

Ready to simplify?

Curious how PowerSyncPro can simplify your next directory synchronisation?