Importing groups, members, and monitors

Administrators and users allowed the Configure Agency Security Settings permission have a swift and scalable way to manage Evidence.com groups. The Import Groups feature lets you use comma-separated value (CSV) files to create groups and to define group members and monitors. The Import Groups feature is available on the Admin Portal page.

Import Groups provides separate processes for defining groups and for configuring group members and monitors. A different CSV file is required for each process. For more information about the CSV files, see Import Groups and Define Members and Monitors.

Strategies for Importing Groups, Members, and Monitors

It is recommended that you consider how your organization can best make use of the Import Groups feature.

Setup by Import, Maintain by Import

The primary use for the Import Groups feature is to enable agencies to keep their Evidence.com group configurations in sync with groups in other applications, such as with an on-premises Microsoft Active Directory implementation.

With this strategy, it is recommended that your groups CSV file and members-and-monitors CSV file reflect the complete configuration of all groups and their members and monitors. It is also recommended that you ensure that the CSV files are backed up reliably.

Setup by Import, Maintain Manually

If you have no need to synchronize group configuration with an external source, consider using the Import Groups feature when you are setting up groups for the first time. Rather than creating groups one at a time, you can define the groups and their members and monitors using CSV files, and then import the files.

After importing groups and defining members and monitors, you can review your group configuration in Evidence.com and update it as needed. If a large number of changes are needed, it is likely more efficient to update the CSV files and reimport them.

When you are satisfied with your initial group configuration, you can begin maintaining groups individually, as described in Edit Group Members, Monitors, and Other Settings.

Empty Groups

You cannot use the Define Members and Monitors feature to empty an existing group of all members and monitors. It is recommended that you delete a group rather than trying to maintain an empty group. You can always create the group again later, when it is needed.

Import Groups

The CSV file for importing groups must contain a header row and must have three columns. A sample ImportGroups.csv file is available on the Import Groups page. The following table describes the required values in the CSV file for importing groups:

For more information about valid CSV formatting, see https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4180

1. If you have already prepared your groups CSV file, skip to step 9.
2. On the menu bar, click Admin and then, under Users, click Import Groups.
3. Under Import Groups, click ImportGroups.csv and save it to your computer.

   

4. Make a copy of the ImportGroups.csv file and assign it a meaningful file name.

   This new file is your groups CSV file.

5. Open the file in a spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft Excel.

   

6. Delete the second, third, and fourth rows. Do not delete the first row. Evidence.com expects the first row to contain the column names.
7. For every group that you want to add, include a row in the file that specifies values for the group, as described in the preceding table. Ensure that each value is in the cell beneath the applicable header.
8. Save your groups CSV file.
9. In Evidence.com, if your session has timed out, sign in again and return to the Import Groups page by clicking Admin and then, under Users, clicking Import Groups.
10. If you want to completely replace all groups currently in your agency with the groups in your groups CSV file, click to clear the Do Not Make Changes To Any Groups That Currently Exist check box.

    Note: It is recommended that you use the Do Not Make Changes To Any Groups That Currently Exist check box with caution. If you clear the check box and import a CSV file, only the groups in the CSV file exist after the import. Any other groups that previously existed in your agency are deleted.

11. If you want to add the groups in the CSV file without affecting any existing groups, select the Do Not Make Changes To Any Groups That Currently Exist check box.

    By default, the Do Not Make Changes To Any Groups That Currently Exist check box is selected.

12. Next to Groups File, click Choose File and, in the dialog box that opens, select the groups CSV file on your computer, and then click Next.

    Evidence.com displays a list actions taken based on the groups found in the uploaded file. This includes information about errors that Evidence.com detected and about the deletion of previously existing groups that were not defined in the groups CSV file.

13. Review the list of actions taken.
14. If you need to correct errors, update the groups CSV file as needed, click Import More Groups, Members, and Monitors, and repeat this procedure.
15. Click Finished.

    The All Groups page appears.

Define Members and Monitors

You can import definitions for group members and monitors. You define the members and monitors in a CSV file.

Each row in the members-and-monitors CSV file defines a single member or monitor for a single group. For example, if you wanted to add a user as both a member and a monitor to a group, the CSV file would include two rows: one row for adding the user as a member and a second row for adding the user as a monitor.

Note: Only the groups referenced in column A of the members-and-monitors CSV file are affected when you define members and monitors. For example, if groups 1 and 2 each have several members assigned and then you import a members-and-monitors CSV file that only includes rows that define members and monitors for group 1, Evidence.com takes no action on group 2.

The members-and-monitors CSV file must contain a header row and must have four columns. A sample ImportMembersAndMonitors.csv file is available on the Import Groups page. The following table describes the required values in the CSV file for defining members and monitors:

For more information about valid CSV formatting, see https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4180

1. If you have already prepared your members-and-monitors CSV file, skip to step 9.
2. On the menu bar, click Admin and then, under Users, click Import Groups.
3. Under Define Members and Monitors, click ImportMembersAndMonitors.csv and save it to your computer.

   

4. Make a copy of the ImportMembersAndMonitors.csv file and assign it a meaningful file name.

   The new file is your members-and-monitors CSV file.

5. Open the file in a spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft Excel.

   

6. Delete the second, third, fourth, and fifth rows. Do not delete the first row. Evidence.com expects the first row to contain the column names.
7. For every member or monitor that you want to add to a group, include a row in the CSV file that specifies values for the member or monitor, as described in the preceding table. Ensure that each value is in the cell beneath the applicable header.
8. Save the file.
9. In Evidence.com, if your session has timed out, sign in again and return to the Import Groups page by clicking Admin and then, under Users, clicking Import Groups.
10. If you want to completely replace all members and monitors in the groups referenced in column A of the members-and-monitors CSV file, click to clear the Do Not Remove Group Members Or Monitors That Currently Exist check box.

    Note: It is recommended that you use the Do Not Remove Group Members Or Monitors That Currently Exist check box with caution. If you clear the check box and import a CSV file, then in the groups referenced in column A of the CSV file, only the members and monitors defined in the CSV file exist after the import. Any other members and monitors that previously existed those groups are removed. Groups not referenced in column A of the CSV file are unaffected.

11. If you want to add the members and monitors in the CSV file without affecting any existing members and monitors, select the Do Not Remove Group Members Or Monitors That Currently Exist check box.

    By default, the Do Not Remove Group Members Or Monitors That Currently Exist check box is selected.

12. Next to Members and Monitors File, click Choose File and, in the dialog box that opens, select the CSV file on your computer, and then click Next.

    Evidence.com displays a list actions taken based on the members and monitors found in the uploaded file. This includes information about errors that Evidence.com detected.

13. Review the list of actions taken.
14. If you need to correct errors, update the CSV file as needed, click Import More Groups, Members, and Monitors, and repeat this procedure.
15. Click Finished.

    The All Groups page appears.