Transition from School Data Sync (Classic)

  • Article

Note

We're excited to announce that the new School Data Sync (SDS) experience is Generally Available.

Warning

Environments, with enrollments for more than 50k users, where provisioning tasks (writing users, groups, and memberships to Microsoft Entra ID) may take more than 24 hours to process is currently not recommended. Monitor SDS Roadmap and "What's New" page for Large Organization Support for when this is lifted.

Warning

Environments that need to directly connect data from multiple SISs into a single subscription is currently not supported. If this configuration is needed, before support is added, then pre-processing, outside of SDS, will need to occur to combine the data before submitting the data through one of the supported CSV formats. Username values in the CSV will need to include the fully qualified domain value, e.g. username@domain, for user targeted-domain identity mapping. Monitor SDS Roadmap and "What's New" page for Single Subscription - Multi-Academy Trust Support for when this is lifted.

Overview

The architecture of School Data Sync (SDS) is different from the SDS (Classic) version.

SDS models the best practices of the Education Customer Success Team that's helped institutions successfully set up and use SDS to empower Microsoft 365 experiences globally.

The on-boarding experience is broken down into the following steps:

  1. Connect data
    • Define your connection to your institution’s data stored in your SIS/SMS by defining your source system, the format of the incoming data, and your user identity rules.
  2. Manage data to enable scenarios to improve learning outcomes.
    • Dynamic provisioning and roster updates for virtual classrooms in Microsoft 365, for simplified deployment and adoption of Microsoft 365 Group-enabled apps like Teams for Education, SharePoint, Exchange, and OneNote Class Notebooks.
      • Ability to store objects and attributes SDS syncs within Microsoft Entra ID.
    • Provisioning of users and groups for IT, for simplified Microsoft 365 identity management, app management, and device management with Security Groups and Administrative Units.
    • Provisioning to Microsoft Entra ID also makes the information available to third party applications through the Education APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and Microsoft Graph.
    • (Optional) Sync external SIS / SMS data and link with Microsoft 365 activity and Microsoft Entra data, for providing custom analytics with Education Data Lake Export to Azure in your subscription.

Graphic that shows SDS high-level overview.

Important

Extra-large organizations no longer need to split up single data sources into separate CSV extracts and configure multiple Sync Profiles. Now, SDS uses a single connect data configuration to bring in SIS/SMS data from a single source. You will need to provide only one set of files.

Take time to read over School Data Sync Overview to learn more about changes in the SDS platform and architecture.

Review and monitor What's new and Coming soon for information on current and upcoming features supported by SDS to help with planning your transition.

Prepping for transition overview

Caution

Not all SDS (Classic) formats are supported, you will need to move to supported formats:

SDS UK CSV -> SDS v1 CSV or SDS v2.1 CSV

SDS v2 CSV -> SDS v2.1 CSV

Clever CSV -> SDS v1 CSV or SDS v2.1 CSV

PowerSchool Rest API / Plugin -> SDS v2.1 CSV

Apple School Manager (ASM) -> SDS v1 CSV or SDS v2.1 CSV Also need to set up Intune to enroll iOS/iPadOS device through Apple School Manager

Google Identity Management -> Move to Federation between Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID

  1. Review responses for the highlighted Frequently Asked Questions.
  2. Complete review of Planning Checklist.
  3. Begin prepping SIS / SMS data.
    • If CSV format, determine:
    • If OneRoster API format:
      • Confirm that the OneRoster SIS configuration has enabled the 'Is Active' option for the connection used by School Data Sync.
        • This ensures that only active data for the active School Year and session is provided as the school year progresses.
      • If you need to sync Parent & Guardians, ensure that your provider has completed validation for the feature to be enabled.
        • SDS doesn't support side loading the data with CSV as a separate ingestion from the data coming through the OneRoster API.
  4. (Required) Perform SDS (Classic) Security Groups and Administrative Units membership cleanup.
  5. Validate if you're a previous SDS for Insights / Insights Premium customer.
  6. (Optional) Perform SDS (Classic) Class / Section group cleanup to target classes / sections that need to be archived.
  7. Based on the group splits selected, SDS may not bind to (Classic) Security Groups and associate memberships. You may need to review and apply any configuration settings based on your previous (Classic) Security Groups to the new ones created by SDS. The check and updates will need to happen after the first run has completed for the Security Groups flow as part of your transition steps.
  8. Based on the group splits selected, SDS may not bind to (Classic) Administrative Units and associate memberships. You may need to review and apply any configuration settings based on your previous (Classic) Administrative Units to the new ones created by SDS. The check and updates will need to happen after the first run has completed for the Administrative Units flow as part of your transition steps.

Transition steps overview

From School Data Sync (Classic) home page, select the option presented to Go to School Data Sync to open a new browser or tab. Select accordingly to continue to the next steps.

I'm a previous SDS for Insights / Insights Premium Customer

  • Your experience starts with the steps for Academic Year Transition:
  • You can set up your manage data configuration immediately after defining your connect data configuration, during the active first run, or later after the first run has finished.
    • On the Home page, select Manage data to define how to share data with Microsoft 365.
    • Select which Microsoft 365 provisioning options you would like to use.
      • Users: Allows you to automate management of your Microsoft 365 users.

        • Determine if you need to Create unmatched users. If so, enable toggle to Yes. The default selection is No.

          Warning

          You should not set the toggle to 'Yes' for Create unmatched users if you have other active methods of creating users in your Microsoft Entra ID through Azure AD Sync or custom integrations.

          Tip

          You can configure School Data Sync (SDS) to only manage users to Microsoft Entra ID without needing to also manage Microsoft 365 Groups and Teams, to do so deselect Class groups.

        • Class groups: Provides a space for users to connect with each other, communicate, and collaborate across various Microsoft 365 applications including Teams.

          Important

          If you do not want SDS to create and manage Security groups and/or Administrative units you will need to deselect the option(s), otherwise you will need to select at least one of the split types when prompted to complete the set up.

        • Security groups: Provides a grouping construct for use within various identity management, application management, and device management scenarios in Microsoft 365.

          • Based on the group splits selected, SDS may not bind to (Classic) Security Groups and associate memberships. You may need to review and apply any configuration settings based on your previous (Classic) Security Groups to the new ones created by SDS. The check and updates will need to happen after the first run has completed for the Security Groups flow as part of your transition steps.

        • Administrative units: Provides a grouping construct for delegated IT administration and scoped role assignments. Scoped role assignments allow admins to manage a subset of the broader Microsoft 365 directory.

          • Based on the group splits selected, SDS may not bind to (Classic) Administrative Units and associate memberships. You may need to review and apply any configuration settings based on your previous (Classic) Administrative Units to the new ones created by SDS. The check and updates will need to happen after the first run has completed for the Administrative Units flow as part of your transition steps.

I'm not a previous SDS for Insights / Insights Premium Customer

  • Depending on your source data format, proceed to the following accordingly. You need to follow the options to Create a new source and follow the steps based on your source format.
  • You can set up your manage data configuration immediately after defining your connect data configuration, during the active first run, or later after the first run has finished.
    • On the Home page, select Manage data to define how to share data with Microsoft 365.
    • Select which Microsoft 365 provisioning options you would like to use.
      • Users: Allows you to automate management of your Microsoft 365 users.

        • Determine if you need to Create unmatched users. If so, enable toggle to Yes. The default selection is No.0

          Warning

          You should not set the toggle to 'Yes' for Create unmatched users if you have other active methods of creating users in your Microsoft Entra ID through Azure AD Sync or custom integrations.

          Tip

          You can configure School Data Sync (SDS) to only manage users to Microsoft Entra ID without needing to also manage Microsoft 365 Groups and Teams, to do so deselect Class groups.

        • Class groups: Provides a space for users to connect with each other, communicate, and collaborate across various Microsoft 365 applications including Teams.

          Important

          If you do not want SDS to create and manage Security groups and/or Administrative units you will need to deselect the option(s), otherwise you will need to select at least one of the split types when prompted to complete the set up.

        • Security groups: Provides a grouping construct for use within various identity management, application management, and device management scenarios in Microsoft 365.

          • Based on the group splits selected, SDS may not bind to (Classic) Security Groups and associate memberships. You may need to review and apply any configuration settings based on your previous (Classic) Security Groups to the new ones created by SDS. The check and updates will need to happen after the first run has completed for the Security Groups flow as part of your transition steps.

        • Administrative units: Provides a grouping construct for delegated IT administration and scoped role assignments. Scoped role assignments allow admins to manage a subset of the broader Microsoft 365 directory.

          • Based on the group splits selected, SDS may not bind to (Classic) Administrative Units and associate memberships. You may need to review and apply any configuration settings based on your previous (Classic) Administrative Units to the new ones created by SDS. The check and updates will need to happen after the first run has completed for the Administrative Units flow as part of your transition steps.

Highlighted frequently asked questions

Review responses in Frequently Asked Questions. We've highlighted a few below.