Active Directory and Microsoft Project

The following topic details how to link employees to both Active Directory and a Microsoft Project resource pool. Use the standard Active Directory instructions to link those employees who are not part of a Microsoft Project resource pool.

 

Prerequisites:

 

Notes:

  • Once the steps that follow are completed, Active Directory is the controlling authority for employee User ID, First Name, Last Name and e-mail address. Any changes to these fields can only be accomplished using Active Directory.

  • Dovico’s login page “forgot password” feature will not work with employees synchronized with Active Directory.

  • If an employee name is changed in Active Directory, the employee name in the Resource pool will be updated but the employee name in individual Microsoft Project files are not automatically updated. Dovico Planning & TimesheetDovico Timesheet will attempt to update the employee name changes in individual project files when each is accessed via the Microsoft Project Link.

 

 

Summary

The following steps involve modifying employee User IDs existing in Dovico to exactly match those entered in Active Directory, synchronizing employees with Active Directory and then merging the conflicting employee IDs.

To modify Employee User IDs:

From Active Directory:

  1. Document the name and User IDs of all employees linked to the Microsoft Project resource pool.

 

From Dovico Planning & TimesheetDovico Timesheet:

  1. Select Items List from the menu (Menu > Views tab > Employees & Projects > Items List).

  2. Select Employees in the drop-down list at the upper left corner of the view.

  3. Select an employee who is linked to Microsoft Project (from step 1).

  4. Click the Properties icon  on the toolbar or double click on the employee name to display the Properties window.

  5. Edit the employee's User ID field so that it exactly matches the User ID found in Active Directory (from step 1).

  6. Click Done or use the Next Record button (or Previous) to browse to other employees. Clicking the Next (or Previous) button automatically saves any changes made.

  7. Edit other Employee User IDs as required.

 

To synchronize employees with Active Directory:

The Active Directory link is located in Menu > Views tab > Active Directory.

 

STEP 1: Establish connection information

  1. Open the connection information area of the screen by clicking the "+" graphic.

  2. Enter the Active Directory server name.

  3. Enter the port number for the Active Directory server.

  4. Enter the Windows User ID and Password for a user having Read access to Active Directory.

    The Advanced button should only be used by experienced Active Directory administrators to customize the employees returned from the Active Directory query. The “Secure authentication” option should be left on at all times except in testing scenarios.

  5. Click the Connect button.

     

STEP 2 (Optional): Schedule updates

  1. Schedule daily updates by checking the update checkbox and entering the scheduled update time (in HH:MM).
     

Tips:

  • Daily updates should be scheduled during non-peak times.

  • If daily updates are not required, a manual update for all employees shown in the 'Employees to be synchronized' list box can be accomplished by clicking the Apply button.

 

 

STEP 3: Synchronize employees
 

All Active Directory employees that have not been synchronized to Dovico are listed in the left column (Available Active Directory Employees) and all employees currently synchronized to Dovico are listed in the right column (Employees to be synchronized).

 

Tip: You should consider having at least Dovico one user with full Administrative access not synchronized with Active Directory. This can avoid every one being locked out of the software if there are connectivity issues with the Active Directory server. Example; moving/replacing the Active Directory server.



 

 

  1. Select one or more employees from the left column.

  2. Click the Add>> button to move them to the list of employees to be synchronized.

  3. Click Apply.

  4. A new window (Merge Active Directory Accounts) opens offering the option to merge the conflicting employee account information in the Dovico database.

    1. Check each employee to overwrite.

    2. Click OK.
       

 

  1. For each newly imported/merged employee, the employee's security level and software access properties should be reviewed.

 

 

 

Notes:

  • When synchronized, the employee's First Name, Last Name, User ID and e-mail address displayed in the Employees view cannot be edited. Any changes to these fields can only be accomplished using Active Directory. The employee's Password is not stored in the Dovico database and the password cannot be modified using any Dovico Planning & TimesheetDovico Timesheet component.

  • When any employee User ID is modified using Active Directory, that employee will have to be re-synchronized before that user can log into Dovico.

  • The First Name, Last Name, User ID and e-mail address fields in Dovico Planning & TimesheetDovico Timesheet have limits on the maximum number of characters. Data imported from Active Directory that exceeds these limits are truncated. First Name (100 characters), Last name (100), User ID (100) and e-mail address (250).

  • The employees imported into Dovico may or may not be automatically available to all other managers using Dovico Planning & TimesheetDovico Timesheet. The availability of imported items to other managers is determined by the status of the "Grant Access automatically..." checkbox located in the Limited Access tab.