Importing User Groups

Note: This content is no longer updated. For the latest content, please go to the user guide for M-Files Online. For information on the supported product versions, refer to our lifecycle policy.

User groups can be imported by domain and by organizational unit. This makes importing user groups into M-Files quicker and easier. M-Files can check for new and deleted user group members periodically.

User groups can be imported from the domain to the vault, allowing existing user groups in the domain to be used for specifying permissions to vault content.

Complete the following steps to import user groups:

  1. Open M-Files Admin.
  2. In the left-side tree view, expand a connection to M-Files server.
  3. Expand Document Vaults.
  4. Expand a vault.
  5. Click User Groups and then click Import User Group in the task area.
    Result:The Import User Group dialog is opened.
  6. Select either:
    • Choose from list to select the user group using drop-down menus. In Domain, select the desired domain. In Organizational unit, select the desired organizational unit within that domain. Finally, in User group, select the user group that you want to import.
      or
    • Enter Name. This option is especially useful if you have so many user groups that searching the correct one from list is hard. Enter the name of the user group in the format <domain>\<user group> and click Show.
    Result:The list area in the dialog is populated with the members of the selected user group.
  7. Optional: Check the Include users from nested groups check box to be able to import login accounts from nested groups within the selected user group.
    Result:The list area in the dialog is populated with the members of the selected user group and the members of any user group nested within the selected user group.
  8. Using the License type for new login accounts drop-down menu, select the license type for the login accounts of the users to be imported.
    For more information about license types, see License type.
  9. Optional: Select the Check for new and deleted members every 15 minutes check box if you want to keep the user group up to date and import new users automatically when they are added to the group.
  10. Click OK to import the selected user group.
The selected user group is imported to the selected vault and it is added to the User Groups list. In addition, new login accounts are created for new users.

Defining, Editing or Disabling Import Settings of Existing User Groups

You can also import users to existing user groups in M-Files.

Or you can edit the synchronization settings of previously imported user groups. If the user group on the domain is changed (it is for instance renamed or the grouping is changed), the earlier imported M-Files user group can be merged with the new user group on the domain. This preserves the identity of the M-Files user group regardless of changes in the domain user group, and the permissions related to it can remain the same.

if you no longer wish to import users to a specific user group, you can also disable user group synchronization altogether.

  1. Open M-Files Admin.
  2. In the left-side tree view, expand a connection to M-Files server.
  3. Expand Document Vaults.
  4. Expand a vault.
  5. Click User Groups and then, on the User Groups list, double-click a user group that you want to edit.
    Result:The User Group Properties dialog is opened.
  6. Either:
    If you want toDo the following
    Import to users an existing user group Check the Group members are synchronized from the domain check box, click the Define... button and then define the import settings in the dialog that is opened. See Importing User Groups for specific instructions on import settings. After you are done, click OK.
    Edit the import settings of a previously imported user group Click Define... and modify the settings in the dialog that is opened. See Importing User Groups for specific instructions on import settings. After you are done, click OK.
    Disable user group synchronization for a user group Uncheck the Group members are synchronized from the domain check box.
  7. Click OK to save your changes and close the User Group Properties dialog.

Users in Synchronized Active Directory Groups

When new users are added to Active Directory (AD) groups that are synchronized to M-Files:

  • The users are added as vault users to the vault in which the user group is located.

  • If the added users do not yet have M-Files login accounts, new login accounts are automatically created for the users and the license specified in the synchronization settings is applied to the new login accounts.

  • No changes are made to existing M-Files login accounts. If users have been assigned concurrent licenses, and they are added to a group for which named licenses are specified, the users retain their concurrent licenses.

When users are removed from all the AD groups that are synchronized to M-Files:
  • The users are removed from the user group in M-Files, losing all permissions that were granted to them through the group membership.
  • The user accounts remain in M-Files but are disabled.
  • The login accounts remain active, keeping the licenses assigned to them.
Note: Users will not be automatically disabled as long as they are members of at least one synchronized AD group.