10 Dec 2020

Bulk uploading Active Directory profile images

As of version 5.5, you will now be able to upload bulk profile images directly from Active Directory. This means you can quickly and easily upload multiple profile images at once to be used as contacts or profile images for users within the people directory, without having to manually add each profile.

Syncing profiles

There are two different methods of syncing these profiles, determined by the Appliance:

  • Continuous sync: Any change in the Active Directory profile field will automatically be changed in Publisher
  • One-off sync: This is a new forced sync at the beginning of the process (when a new user has joined). The client can sync the users' images and then if any new users join they will have their profile synced. (This will be an Appliance setting)

Continuous Sync

To provide user profile images from Active Directory on a continual basis, you must select Synchronise user profile image within in the Appliance version 3.5.15. For more information on how to do this, please contact your HighQ account manager.

In order to optimise overall performance within the Appliance, there is a unique "MD5 hash-value" comparison which is kept in place to reduce the number of profile image upload API calls from the Appliance to Collaborate/Publisher during synchronisation. When the initial Active Directory to Appliance sync is complete for the user profile image, it provides a "MD5 hash-value". When in Active Directory, the user profile image changes and a comparison is done for this "MD5 hash-value" and only when this value changes, the Appliance change the image.

Please note that if Publisher or Collaborate already have a profile image or avatar before the Active Directory sync has been set up and executed, then the existing image in Collaborate or Publisher will be overridden.

In addition, if at any stage after the initial Appliance image has been added, the user decides to change their profile image in either Collaborate or Publisher, the image will not be overridden by the Appliance as it utilises the "MD5 hash-value".

One-off Sync

If you just want to bulk upload user images as a one off process, then you must ensure 'Synchronise user profile image' is disabled within the Appliance version 3.5.15 in the one-off sync section. For more information on how to do this, please contact your HighQ account manager.

Please note that if Publisher or Collaborate already have a profile image or avatar before the Active Directory sync has been set up and executed, then the existing image in Collaborate or Publisher will be overridden.

In addition, if at any stage after the initial Appliance image has been added, the user decides to change their profile image in either Collaborate or Publisher, the image will not be overridden by the Appliance, because it was done as a one off. 

Finally, please note that when there is a HighQ 5.0 / Synced Publisher and Collaborate instance, the sync must be set up with Collaborate and not Publisher

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