CAP Talk

Operations => Tools of the trade => Topic started by: c172drv on February 10, 2015, 04:33:45 PM

Title: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: c172drv on February 10, 2015, 04:33:45 PM
If there is anyone out there who uses Google Apps for the squadron, wing or business how do you manage your user accounts and user directory.  I'm specifically looking for help in automation of the accounts.  While I know how to bulk upload personnel I'd like to get more detail into the directory and automatically add new members and suspend members that leave or drop off the rolls. 

Thanks in advance for any help.  PM me if you want to keep it quiet.
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: JeffDG on February 10, 2015, 04:54:19 PM
You need to learn to love the AdminDirectory API to do that which you wish to do.

Google, like most large organizations, provides basic functionality via UIs, but also utilizes secure APIs that are infinitely flexible, for detail and specifics.

Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: c172drv on February 10, 2015, 05:10:16 PM
I'm am not sure "the force" is strong enough in me master Jedi.  I will try though.  Thanks
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: Tim Day on February 10, 2015, 05:23:53 PM
The thread here (http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18966.msg359794#msg359794) has some of the Google Apps Script both Jeff and I have posted. It may be worth looking at creating a centralized repository for posting the scripts somewhere.

The scripts we use in VAWG use the AdminDirectory API and a few others. I'm currently building a Wing Registration System and will post that code once I get it cleaned up a bit.

Scripts we use in VAWG:
- Automatic User Account Creation
- Build Google Groups (including roll-up groups) from admin entered information (including group name, type, and group criteria)
- Automatically synchronize groups with latest uploaded CAPWATCH data
- Unpack CAPWATCH zip file and load data to MySQL database (Sadly there is no API for wings to access e-services data although I'm told this is on the to-do list).
- Online Wing Registration System with PayPal (in work).

All now use Google Apps Scripts. APIs we use primarily are AdminDirectory and GroupsSettings.  WRS uses PayPal's ExpressCheckout API. It's working great in sandbox (testing) mode. We'll see what happens when we operationalize it.
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: CadetSnuffy on February 10, 2015, 06:25:56 PM
Quote from: c172drv on February 10, 2015, 05:10:16 PM
I'm am not sure "the force" is strong enough in me master Jedi.  I will try though.  Thanks
Do or do not, there is no try. Sorry, you kind of walked into that one.

Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: JeffDG on February 10, 2015, 07:43:12 PM
Quote from: Tim Day on February 10, 2015, 05:23:53 PM
The thread here (http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18966.msg359794#msg359794) has some of the Google Apps Script both Jeff and I have posted. It may be worth looking at creating a centralized repository for posting the scripts somewhere.

The scripts we use in VAWG use the AdminDirectory API and a few others. I'm currently building a Wing Registration System and will post that code once I get it cleaned up a bit.

Scripts we use in VAWG:
- Automatic User Account Creation
- Build Google Groups (including roll-up groups) from admin entered information (including group name, type, and group criteria)
- Automatically synchronize groups with latest uploaded CAPWATCH data
- Unpack CAPWATCH zip file and load data to MySQL database (Sadly there is no API for wings to access e-services data although I'm told this is on the to-do list).
- Online Wing Registration System with PayPal (in work).

All now use Google Apps Scripts. APIs we use primarily are AdminDirectory and GroupsSettings.  WRS uses PayPal's ExpressCheckout API. It's working great in sandbox (testing) mode. We'll see what happens when we operationalize it.

Yeah, my set of scripts does a few things:

My "Registration" system is pretty basic.  Mostly ES events like SAREXs, but the nice thing is that when you register, the mission staff gets to see you and all your qualifications together, which is pretty handy.  No online-payment options just yet, we may need to talk in a couple months after our change-of-command (lots of prep going on for our Conference/Banquet for that is a time-suck).  This is actually our first conference where we've had an online-registration option (yes, we did paper forms before this one...), and with about 7 weeks before the event, we have more people registered than we did 1 week before the last one!
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: Tim Day on February 10, 2015, 08:12:55 PM
Jeff, I'll share my online registration system via the other thread once I've cleaned up the spaghetti code a bit. Open to suggestions about a script repository. Something like GitHub?
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: SarDragon on February 10, 2015, 08:30:31 PM
Why not use a pinned thread on here?
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: Tim Day on February 10, 2015, 08:45:18 PM
Quote from: SarDragon on February 10, 2015, 08:30:31 PM
Why not use a pinned thread on here?

I think the idea of a separate forum topic area has been mentioned. How does one pin a thread?
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: SarDragon on February 10, 2015, 08:53:55 PM
I think the mods have to do it. I couldn't find any button to push. Or it might have to be done when the thread is started.

I have asked TPTB.
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: Paul Creed III on February 10, 2015, 09:26:16 PM
Quote from: c172drv on February 10, 2015, 04:33:45 PM
If there is anyone out there who uses Google Apps for the squadron, wing or business how do you manage your user accounts and user directory.  I'm specifically looking for help in automation of the accounts.  While I know how to bulk upload personnel I'd like to get more detail into the directory and automatically add new members and suspend members that leave or drop off the rolls. 

Thanks in advance for any help.  PM me if you want to keep it quiet.

OHWG is using Google Apps. You can contact Wing IT at admin@ohwg.cap.gov.
Title: Re: Google Apps Account Management
Post by: A.Member on February 11, 2015, 07:42:08 PM
Quote from: c172drv on February 10, 2015, 04:33:45 PM
If there is anyone out there who uses Google Apps for the squadron, wing or business how do you manage your user accounts and user directory.  I'm specifically looking for help in automation of the accounts.  While I know how to bulk upload personnel I'd like to get more detail into the directory and automatically add new members and suspend members that leave or drop off the rolls. 

Thanks in advance for any help.  PM me if you want to keep it quiet.
As a follow up to JeffDG's earlier post, he's done a terrific job pulling stuff together.  See this thread:
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18966.0 (http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18966.0)