Batch import and update user data

The user data batch import and update feature allows the administrator to import users, user information and optionally update existing users details by reading data from a simple text file. It enables administrators to update the following user data:

• Credit balance

• Restriction status

• Full name

• Email address

• Department

• Office

• Primary Card/ID Number

• Card/ID PIN

• Notes

• Secondary Card/ID Number

• Other email addresses

• Username alias

• Home folder

Examples of where the batch user details import feature is useful include:

• To set the user email addresses that are stored in another system (like a student management system).

• When importing user and balance data from another external or legacy system.

• When moving user balances from previous PaperCut NG/MF editions to PaperCut NG/MF.

For more information on using the batch import to import data from previous PaperCut NG/MF editions, see Upgrade from PaperCut NG/MF Quota .

To perform a batch import:

1. Create your import file in the prescribed tab-delimited format as detailed in the Batch User Import File Format section below. You can also download an example batch-user-example.tsv via the batch-user-example.zip here .

2. Click the Users tab.
   The User List page is displayed.

3. In the Actions menu, click Batch import.
   The Batch User Import and Update page is displayed.

4. Click Browse to select the file to import. (The format of the file is described in the Batch User Import File Format section below).

5. Choose whether you want the import to create new users if they do not already exist. If you clear this check box, lines that contain users who do not exist are ignored and only existing users are updated.

6. Click Import.
   A message is displayed informing you of how many users were updated and how many users were created.

Batch user import file format

The import file is in tab delimited format and contains the following fields in the given order.

User Import File Format

Other limitations: Although any actual limit to the size of an import file should be large enough for any purpose, we recommend keeping the file size below 10MB.

Import file format examples

The following lines show importing all the above fields. (The fields are separated by tabs).

Username	Credit Balance	Restricted Status	Full Name	Email	Department	Office	Card/ID Number	Card/ID PIN	Notes	Secondary Card/ID Number	Other email addresses	Username alias	Home folder
matt	20.00	Y	Matt Johnson	mattj@email.com	Science Dept	Head office	103251	912254	NoteA	1234	matt@email.com	matt
john	25.00	N	John Jackson	jj@domain.com	Administration	Other office	963254	123254	NoteB	4346	john@email.com	jon

The following lines shows importing user email addresses only.

NOTE: That the tabs still exist for balance, restriction, full name fields, but each entry is blank.

Username	Credit Balance	Restricted Status	Full Name	Email	Department	Office	Card/ID Number	Card/ID PIN	Notes	Secondary Card/ID Number	Other email addresses	Username alias	Home folder
matt			Matt Johnson	mattj@email.com
john			John Jackson	jj@domain.com

The following lines shows importing the credit balance and full name for the first user and the credit balance and email address for the second user.

NOTE: The tabs characters still exist for blank fields.

Username	Credit Balance	Restricted Status	Full Name	Email	Department	Office	Card/ID Number	Card/ID PIN	Notes	Secondary Card/ID Number	Other email addresses	Username alias	Home folder
matt	20.00		Matt Johnson	mattj@email.com				1500			jj@domain.com	john

Sample import files

For more examples, refer to the following files in the install directory:

• [server install]/server/examples/import/user/external/batch-user-example.tsv
  • This is used for Standard users (documented on this page)
• [server install]/server/examples/import/user/batch-internal-user-example.tsv
  • This is used for Internal users (documented in the Batch internal user import and update section of the manual)