Using a Field in AD for Desk Allocation during OfficeMaps Sync

Using a Field in AD for Desk Allocation during OfficeMaps Sync

OfficeMaps has an AD Sync process to add users and associated properties from AD. Information about this is available in the article Sync People from AD. As part of this function, Administrators can specify a field in AD that is used to assign each user to an asset. This setting is available under the Main Menu -> Preferences -> People menu option under the section Does AD contain a field for desk allocation? 

The first step is to choose a field in AD which will be used to store the name of the asset. One of the preferred fields which is visible by default is Office (in AD, PhysicalDeliveryOfficeName). Using this field is the most straightforward option but if this field is already in use or is not desired, a number of generic Extension Attributes exist in AD.

Before using one of these fields it is best to verify which if any are currently in use by other applications. To do this, open ADSI Edit, select a User, right click and then choose Properties. Set a sample asset name value for this attribute (in our example, O-BNE-1.12). 



This attribute will then need to be added to Azure Active Directory Connect as seen in the following image. Under Sync -> Directory Extensions, highlight the field and add it to the Selected Attributes.



Complete the wizard. It will typically run a sync on completion.
 
The next step is to then verify that the Attribute data exists in AD.
Open Powershell as an administrator. If it is not already installed, install the AzureAD module using the following command:
Install-Module AzureAD

Login to Azure AD (you will need admin level user credentials) using the following command and complete the login process:
Connect-AzureAD

If you do not know the UPN that is used in Azure AD, then run the following command to display a list:
get-azureaduser

Run the following command to check properties on a user:
get-azureaduser -objectid {userupn/defaultemail} | select -expandproperty extensionproperty

If the AD Sync to Azure AD has completed and worked correctly, you should see the newly added extension attribute data in the details listed, e.g.
extension_ed33333eaaaa222aaa333bbb444caaaa_extensionAttribute2        O-BNE-1.12

Settings in OfficeMaps

Once this step has been verified, configure the setting to assign this AD attribute for asset allocation through the Main Menu -> Preferences -> People menu option under the section Does AD contain a field for desk allocation? Ensure that the check box is ticked and enter the name of the AD field. In the field Desk allocation method, enter the value M. If the same asset name is used in different locations within OfficeMaps (for example, one desk in Sydney and one in New York, both with the name Desk123) in the third text box you can enter the AD field which will be used to look up the name of the location that the asset allocation refers to. If this is not required, leave the field Name of asset location field for person in AD blank.

Finally, perform a manual sync to push the values from AD into OfficeMaps and users will be assigned to the appropriate assets. This function can be activated through the Main Menu -> People -> Action menu, choosing either of the options to Sync People From AD.

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