The user directory is often the center of information in a company. User data is maintained and updated in the user directory, while other systems only extract this data. To avoid duplication, you want to be able to use the existing data in your Confluence system. With the Linchpin User Profiles app, this is easy. There are currently two import options supported by this add-on to bring existing user data into Confluence.
XML User Data Import
You can import user profile data in an XML format, for example, as exported from SAP or IDM.
The XML data must be in the following format:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<identities>
<identity>
<mx_user_name>admin</mx_user_name>
<department>IT</department>
<team>BOFH</team>
</identity>
</identities>
How it works
- URL or file path to the XML file with the user profile data.
- XML node containing a user's profile data, in this case
<identity>. - XML node which contains the user's Confluence user name. In this case, synchronization occurs only for the user with the name
"mx_user_admin".
To use profiles imported from XML, you must define the field type "XML node" in the required profile fields, and specify the appropriate node from your XML data structure.
Regular synchronization of the user data should be done. After the initial data import, synchronization is best done manually (CUP Bulk profile update (XML sync)).
LDAP Synchronization
You can connect your central user directory directly to Confluence and configure the profile fields to be used. This synchronization supports Linchpin User Profiles in both directions. In addition to exporting data from the directory to the user profiles in Confluence, you can restore directory data directly from the app.
It can be complex and time consuming to maintain data in a central user directory, and the resulting directories are often not up-to-date. Linchpin User Profiles allows employees to keep the system current - they can update their Confluence profile fields which then copies these updates back to the central user directory. For example, this can help with keeping telephone numbers and profile images current.
This data write-back to the central user directory is disabled by default. To enable this feature, you need to complete the following two steps:
- First, Confluence must be granted access to the user directory.
- Then you will need to configure data synchronization for each profile field.
