Geek programming question

[ladyskydiver 0]

I need to make a form (or download one) to automate adding/deleting Outlook users (both individual and to groups). Suggestions? Help!

We're hoping to give specific "Super Users" the ability to manage users and groups.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[PhillyKev 0]

Outlook or Exchange? What versions? Is this on Windows 2000 with Active Directory?

[ladyskydiver 0]

Outlook 2002 and 2003 on Windows 2000 with Active Directory.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[PhillyKev 0]

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Outlook 2002 and 2003 on Windows 2000 with Active Directory.

What version of Exchange? If it's 2000 or higher you can use the MMC (MS Management Console) to create a custom admin tool to give the super users and then delegate the appropriate permissions to them within AD.

[PhreeZone 20]

You mention Automate... are you wanting a system that deletes a user when they are fired and autocreates one when someone is hired? Then you probally also want a system that adds users to specific groups and DL's depending on their job role right?

Am I close at all?

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And tomorrow is a mystery

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[DaMan 0]

Once you've delegated the permissions to your "super user group", you can script the changes you're wanting - I've found/written a few. As Phree said, what are you trying to accomplish? Give us a few more details and there's enough of us geeks to make your goal happen...

Z-Flock 8
Discotec Rodriguez

Too bad weapons grade stupidity doesn't lead to sterility.

[ladyskydiver 0]

Exchange v5

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[ladyskydiver 0]

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You mention Automate... are you wanting a system that deletes a user when they are fired and autocreates one when someone is hired? Then you probally also want a system that adds users to specific groups and DL's depending on their job role right?

Am I close at all?

You are 100% on target.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[PhreeZone 20]

What are you using as your backend HR system? Are you wanting to have it all Automated based on the start point in HR or is the start point in the Tech group based on a request they recieve?

Also how much $ you have to throw at it? We just threw about $5-7 Million to come up with the same answer and intergrate it and a single sign in solution here

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And tomorrow is a mystery

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[ladyskydiver 0]

HR System - non-existent. Beyond utilizing ADP as our payroll people, we don't have one. What the current thought is - provide the "Super User" with a form that does it automatically. HR would be the start point as far as adding/deleting users and the initial addition to a group(s). However, we'll, also, be giving other people the ability to add/remove users from groups as well.

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Also how much $ you have to throw at it? We just threw about $5-7 Million to come up with the same answer and intergrate it and a single sign in solution here

Hon...you're cute and give good hugs, but the $$ available to toss is - $0.00. Nada...if worst comes to worst, I'll have to go digging into my storage unit, get out the Outlook programming book, and have at it.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[ianmdrennan 2]

What language are you planning on writing this form in? Is it planned to be a windows app or a web form (if so is the backend language ASP, ASP.NET)?

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[PhreeZone 20]

Ummm... coming from an Environment that was like that, trust me.. you don't want it to be that way. Design the best possible solution from the start. It honestly sounds like someone had the great idea of to automate things, but did'nt think through the process all the way to develop a project with set requirements.

Outlook won't do what you are wanting to do. Outlook can create the form to email people but thats really easy to create but it won't create any accounts. If you are wanting to have it create/delete the accounts you need to have an Exchange product to do it. If you are wanting to add people to lists and groups then it needs to be tied into Active Directory also assuming you have plans on upgrading that 8 year old mailing system at some point to Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003. Know anything about OU's and writting applications to plug into both those realms?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[ladyskydiver 0]

If I end up writing it, it'll be ASP.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[ianmdrennan 2]

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Outlook won't do what you are wanting to do.

Yep

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If you are wanting to have it create/delete the accounts you need to have an Exchange product to do it. If you are wanting to add people to lists and groups then it needs to be tied into Active Directory also assuming you have plans on upgrading that 8 year old mailing system at some point to Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003.

Nope. I believe the library is the Microsoft CDO library (don't quote me on that). You can use it's API to interact with the exchange server and make accounts,etc.
Unfortunately like you said, you will have to duplicate the entry because of the old exchange version (make an entry in exchange AND the AD entry vs if they had a later version of Exchange they could do it all from AD).

Phree is correct, you guys need to think development through carefully. I can't tell you what a pain in the ass it is to go and fix a "homemade/quick throw together" system later on once the community has entrenched itself in it.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[Guest]

Quote

Quote

Outlook won't do what you are wanting to do.

Yep

Quote

If you are wanting to have it create/delete the accounts you need to have an Exchange product to do it. If you are wanting to add people to lists and groups then it needs to be tied into Active Directory also assuming you have plans on upgrading that 8 year old mailing system at some point to Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003.

Nope. I believe the library is the Microsoft CDO library (don't quote me on that). You can use it's API to interact with the exchange server and make accounts,etc.
Unfortunately like you said, you will have to duplicate the entry because of the old exchange version (make an entry in exchange AND the AD entry vs if they had a later version of Exchange they could do it all from AD).

Phree is correct, you guys need to think development through carefully. I can't tell you what a pain in the ass it is to go and fix a "homemade/quick throw together" system later on once the community has entrenched itself in it.

Blues,
Ian

Ugh. Using homebrew script toolz now - what a pain.

Take the time to do it right.

mh

.

[ianmdrennan 2]

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it'll be ASP.

ASP.NET is way better but I realize it's not always an option.

Look into the CDO library I mentioned earlier and here's a link to the MS site that may get you on your way CDO

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[ianmdrennan 2]

HA, I hear you. 90% of our work is converting Access databases (god how I hate that wizard makes everyone think they're suddenly a DB/Programmer) to a more robust backend. A lot of my time is spent reengineering the db back end away from the wonderful single table structure they create (can we say 1 big denormalized table !) and moving them away from the access front end.

It's amazing how many of our departments run on some of this crap that's written.
Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[ladyskydiver 0]

I'd prefer developing the best solution but until we get the upgrades in place (which we're working on but need to upgrade the hardware prior to the software), I have to come up with something. As far as programming applications that'll plug into both realms...nope...don't know anything about it.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Experts Exchange is also a good programming forum with tons of examples and questions on a boatload of different topics.

Blues.
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[ladyskydiver 0]

LOL - This company thinks Excel is a database. I feel your pain with Access.

Thanks for your help, everyone! It's appreciated. I owe y'all a hug (or two).

It's looking like I may just put a form together to get everyone entering the same information in the same format and when we do the upgrades then work on automating the addition/deletion of users.

One last question...when we do upgrade our software, will the addition/deletion of members to a group be able to be automated? For example, we're having an issue with a person leaving the company and them still staying in a group.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[sunshine 2]

I put cute little firefly bug stickers on my monitor. Now i can do anything. I must be a superhero.

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meow

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[ladyskydiver 0]

One of my co-workers points little feet.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[ianmdrennan 2]

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One last question...when we do upgrade our software, will the addition/deletion of members to a group be able to be automated? For example, we're having an issue with a person leaving the company and them still staying in a group.

If you upgrade to the new exchange versions and you use AD everything will be linked together (at least as far as AD accounts and exchange info) so when you disable the user account, everything related to that will deactivate as well.

Blues.
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[ladyskydiver 0]

Awesome! Thanks!

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[Guest]

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LOL - This company thinks Excel is a database. I feel your pain with Access.

EEeeeek!

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One last question...when we do upgrade our software, will the addition/deletion of members to a group be able to be automated? For example, we're having an issue with a person leaving the company and them still staying in a group.

The way it works here, HR updates an ASP form, which periodically goes to Active Directory and just disables the account.

A script runs that looks for the tombstoned names that are more than 60 days old and renames them with "zz-username", and removes them from global groups.

This gives people who were accidentally deleted a chance to get turned back on without having to be re-created from scratch, because once a tombstoned account is wiped out, the GUIDs associated with it can't be recovered, but it only takes a mouse-click to turn a disabled account back on.

mh

.