Synchronize User Profile data from an external list

Question

I would like to use additional properties from another datasource (SQL server) as additional user properties, then push them back to active directory. I setup a sample BCS to the sql server successfully, then added this new "External Content Type" successfully to a site collection. Ultimately, however, I would like to use the ECT and External List as the basis for a new profile that I push to Active directory. How can that sync be done?

Thanks in advance!

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OK--thanks for the quick response--the custom import described what I want to accomplish to a degree...For instance, I see how the 1:1 mapping will work but the problem is I would like to take advantage of Audience targeting by using one of the fields from the BCS "secondary" source...this is ultimately why I wanted to sync back..any ideas for alternatives?

Answer 1

when you say "push back to AD" what exactly do you mean?

You do know that you can set up BCS as a secondary data source in SharePoint? Is this what you want to achieve? See more on this in my earlier answer here (for SP2007 but it shouldnt have changed much)

If you instead mean you want to replicate something from BCS back to AD using User Profile sync, i really cant see how this could be done. Unfortunately the FIM sync in SP2010, though allowing several different sources like AD, Tivoli, Novell etc, isnt implemented in a way that allows extending the sync.

Answer 2

Direct pushback to active directory may be fraught with security issues. I have never attempted such a thing. You might consider simply adding the additional fields in AD and the User Profile Manager and then use a timer job to sync the data in the User Profile Service with the external content. This allow the use built in User Profile synchronization to keep AD in sync. Such a situation will have latency issues, but might be less complicated to implement and deploy.

Answer 3

I go so frustrated with this, I ended up creating a fairly simple PowerShell script to run through a .csv file and update the user profiles. I know it's not as elegant as all the external list and BCS stuff, but at least it's easy to follow. And bonus on this is since it is changing stuff outside of the limitations of the Sync process, that means I can update these values from an external source via the script, and then that particular field can sync from SP to AD, effectively allowing me to update AD from this external source. Here is the link to the code: http://iedaddy.com/2010/06/sharepoint-2010-updating-user-profile-properties-with-powershell/

update can be run as a scheduled job.