User Creation Wizard
User Creation Wizard is a product which takes the work out of creating Active Directory users, and can draw user data from a number of sources, including CSV files, databases, and manually entered data.
Introducing User Creation Wizard
User Creation Wizard takes the process of creating user accounts for use on an Active Directory Domain and simplifies it, while putting a number of related operations into the same process.
Company Policy
Whatever your policy on username format, and password complexity, User Creation Wizard can make use of it when creating users, automatically generating usernames based on a person's information, and automatically generating passwords based on rules you specify.
In addition to this, you can also define precisely what happens if a duplicate username is generated.
Scripting
One of the ways in which User Creation Wizard can generate usernames, passwords and deal with duplicate usernames is by way of scripting. User Creation Wizard implements a derivative of Javascript which gives you access to the .NET Framework, allowing you to develop powerful scripts.
Process
As well as creating user accounts, User Creation Wizard will help you to:
- Place your user accounts appropriately in your Active Directory OU structure
- Join users to groups
- Set user flags such as 'User must change password at first logon' and 'Password never expired'
- Configure profile paths, logon scripts and home directories
- Create and secure home folders
- Copy files to each created home folders
We have plans to introduce more functionality in future versions, as well as a command line tool which can create users automatically on a schedule.
Choosing a data source
Features
Data Sources
User Creation Wizard comes with three data sources by default. One which allows you to enter user information manually, one which allows you to import CSV files, and one which allows you to obtain user information from databases. You can map columns and fields to user properties easily.
Manual data entry allows you to enter values for each user property manually.
Username Generation
You are able to use one of a number of methods of generating usernames automatically, including selection of a number of predefined formats (eg, firstname.lastname, first-initial.surname, and so on). You can enter your own format, or you can write a Python script to generate the username for you.
Password Generation
You can also generate passwords automatically using a number of methods, including a random password including characters from a user definable character set, a static password for all users, or a Python script.
Mapping CSV columns to user properties
Username Collision Avoidance
If duplicate usernames are generated, or specified in your data source, you can choose what should happen. Options including skipping creation of the user, appending a number, or retrieving a new username from a Python script.
Placement in your Active Directory
You can choose where in your Active Directory structure users should be created. You can even specify this location in your data source, so each user can be created in a different organizational unit.
User Account Control
You can set whether users must change the password at their first logon, whether their passwords expire, or whether their account is created in a disabled state.
User Profile
Username and password generation options
User Creation Wizard allows you to specify a user's profile path, logon script and home directory information, or you can specify this information in your data source. User Creation Wizard can also create and secure home directories if you wish.
Group Membership
Users created by User Creation Wizard can be placed in one or more security groups.
Creation Report
User Creation Wizard generates a report showing generated usernames and passwords for each user it creates, in addition to other properties such as email address, full name, and so on.
Save Options for Next Time
Each time you run User Creation Wizard, it saves the settings you chose on each page of the wizard, and uses the same settings next time you create users, which streamlines the creation process enormously. You can optionally tell User Creation Wizard not to save settings each time you start it.