Google Apps Account Management

[c172drv]

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.

[JeffDG]

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.

[c172drv]

I'm am not sure "the force" is strong enough in me master Jedi.  I will try though.  Thanks

[Tim Day]

The thread here 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.

[CadetSnuffy]

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.

[JeffDG]

The thread here 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:

• Creates and maintains (ie. suspends when user leaves) user accounts for all members of the wing (~1,000 active)
• Creates a series of e-mail lists (actually more lists than members) based upon Unit, Duty Position and ES Qualifications (ie. I can send an e-mail to all Unit Commanders in Group 1 if I like with one list that is auto-updated on changes)
• Extracts statistical information about the Wing and activities (ie. how many ES qualifications were added or renewed last FY)
• Ties in with a Voice/Text Alerting system (although my full-scale test last weekend failed spectacularly), so we can send voice alerts in the event of missions

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!

[Tim Day]

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?

[SarDragon]

Why not use a pinned thread on here?

[Tim Day]

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?

[SarDragon]

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.

[Paul Creed III]

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.

[A.Member]

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