Create a Data Source
You can create Synchronize jobs to synchronize data across different providers. As a prerequisite, you must create data sources for those providers.
You primarily use data sources in Synchronize jobs, but you can also use them in queries to search for directory objects and in queries for group membership update.
You can create data sources for the following providers:
OneDrive configuration
Excel, Access, and Text/CSV data sources can use a file hosted on OneDrive. Before you create a data source for a OneDrive file, complete the following requirements.
App registration permissions
The application you registered for Directory Manager in Microsoft Entra Admin Center must have the following application API permission. For registration steps, see Registration and Permissions Assignment.
| API | Permission | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Graph | Files.Read.All | Application | Read files in all site collections |
To add the permission:
Step 1 – In Microsoft Entra Admin Center, go to Identity > Applications > App registrations and select the Directory Manager application.
Step 2 – On the API permissions page, click Add a permission > Microsoft Graph > Application permissions.
Step 3 – Select Files.Read.All and click Add permissions.
Step 4 – Click Grant admin consent. The permission isn't valid until an administrator grants consent.
Find the application ID and tenant ID
The Create Data Source page asks for the application ID and tenant ID of the app registration. Both appear on the Overview page of the app registration:
- Application (client) ID – Enter this value in the Registered Application ID on Azure Active Directory box.
- Directory (tenant) ID – Enter this value in the Registered Tenant ID on Azure Active Directory box.
Generate a client secret
Directory Manager authenticates to OneDrive through the app registration, so the Create Data Source page requires a client secret for it. To generate the secret:
Step 1 – In Microsoft Entra Admin Center, open the Directory Manager app registration and click Certificates & secrets in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Client secrets tab, click New client secret.
Step 3 – Enter a description and select an expiration period, then click Add.
Step 4 – Copy the value in the Value column. Don't copy the Secret ID.
Entra displays the secret value only once. Copy it before you leave the page. When the secret expires, generate a new one and update each OneDrive data source with it. See Update a Data Source.
Service account license
The account you enter in the Service Account box when you create the data source must have a Microsoft license that includes OneDrive, such as a Microsoft 365 license.
File location
The service account must own the file, and the file must reside in the service account's My files folder in OneDrive. Directory Manager can't access files that other users share with the service account or files that reside in another user's OneDrive.
Create a Data Source for MS Excel
Create a data source for an Excel file to establish a connection before using it as a source or destination in Synchronize jobs, or in queries. With Directory Manager, you can connect to an Excel file located on a local server or on OneDrive.
Synchronize supports Microsoft Excel (*.xls | xlsx) as both a source and destination provider. Use it as destination in a Synchronize job to export data from a source to a new Excel worksheet. Synchronize automatically builds the schema of the new Excel worksheet from the fields that you select from the source to map to the destination.
The Directory Manager Installer installs the required components for the MS Excel provider. However, if you experience any issue, install the following on the Directory Manager server:
- Microsoft Office 2007 or later
- Data connectivity components found at Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable.
You can place the Excel file on a local server or on OneDrive. Follow the steps in the respective section to create a data source.
When the Excel File is Located on a Local Server
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select Microsoft Excel.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – From the File Server dropdown list, select Local Server.
Step 6 – In the File Path box, provide the path to the MS Excel file you want to create the data source for. Include the file name and extension in the path. For example: D:\Employee Records\Sheets\EmployeeMedical Records.xlsx
Place the MS Excel file either on the Data service machine or in a location that Data service can access.
Step 7 – If the file is on a network path, enter the network domain or hostname in the Domain/Hostname box.
Step 8 – In the User Account and Password boxes, enter the username and password of an account to access the file on the network path.
Step 9 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the Excel tab of the Data Sources page.
When the Excel file is located on OneDrive
Before you begin, complete the OneDrive configuration requirements.
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select Microsoft Excel.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – From the File Server dropdown list, select OneDrive.
Step 6 – In the Service Account box, enter the username of the service account that owns the file on OneDrive.
Step 7 – In the Registered Application ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the application ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.
Step 8 – In the Secret box, enter the client secret you generated for the app registration. See Generate a client secret.
Step 9 – In the Registered Tenant ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the tenant ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.
Step 10 – Enter the name of the file in the File Name box. Include the file extension in the
name, for example, Employee Contact Details.xlsx.
Step 11 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the Excel tab of the Data Sources page.
Create a Data Source for MS Access
Create a data source for an Access database to establish a connection before using it as a source or destination in Synchronize jobs, or in queries. Directory Manager lets you connect to an Access file located on a local server or on OneDrive.
Synchronize supports Microsoft Access (.mdb | .accdb) as both a source and destination provider.
The MS Access provider supports automatic schema detection. For Synchronize to communicate with this provider, you must install data connectivity components on the Directory Manager server. These components are available at Microsoft Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable.
You can place the Access file on a local server or on OneDrive. Follow the steps in the respective section to create a data source.
When the Access File is Located on a Local Server
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select Microsoft Access.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – From the File Server dropdown list, select Local Server.
Step 6 – In the File Path box, provide the path to the MS Access database you want to create the data source for. Include the file name and extension in the path. For example: D:\Employee Records\Databases\Employee Medical Records.accdb
Place the Access database either on the Data service machine or in a location that Data service can access.
Step 7 – If the database file is password protected, enter the password in the File Password box.
Step 8 – If the file is on a network path, enter the network domain or hostname in the Domain/Hostname box.
Step 9 – In the User Account and Password boxes, enter the username and password of an account to access the file on the network path.
Step 10 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the Access tab of the Data Sources page.
When the Access File is Located on OneDrive
Before you begin, complete the OneDrive configuration requirements.
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select Microsoft Access.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – From the File Server dropdown list, select OneDrive.
Step 6 – In the Service Account box, enter the username of the service account that owns the file on OneDrive.
Step 7 – If the database file is password protected, enter the password in the File Password box.
Step 8 – In the Registered Application ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the application ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.
Step 9 – In the Secret box, enter the client secret you generated for the app registration. See Generate a client secret.
Step 10 – In the Registered Tenant ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the tenant ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.
Step 11 – Enter the name of the file in the File Name box. Include the file extension in the name,
for example, Employee Medical Records.accdb.
Step 12 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the Access tab of the Data Sources page.
Create a Data Source for a Text/CSV File
You can create a data source for a comma-separated values (.csv) file or a text (.txt) file. You must also specify the delimiter that separates values in the file.
You can use this data source in queries and as a source in Synchronize jobs. You can't use it as a destination.
With Directory Manager, you can connect to a text file located on a local server or on OneDrive. Follow the steps in the respective section to create a data source.
When the Text File is Located on a Local Server
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select Text/CSV.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – From the File Server dropdown list, select Local Server.
Step 6 – In the File Path box, provide the path to the text file you want to create the data source for. Include the file name and extension in the path. For example: D:\Employee Records\Sheets\Employee Medical Records.csv
Place the text file either on the Data service machine or in a location that Data service can access.
Step 7 – In the Delimiter box, specify the character that separates values in the file. You can also enter a space as a character.
Step 8 – If the file is on a network path, enter the network domain or hostname in the Domain/Hostname box.
Step 9 – In the User Account and Password boxes, enter the username and password of an account to access the file on the network path.
Step 10 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the Text/CSV tab of the Data Sources page.
When the Text File is Located on OneDrive
Before you begin, complete the OneDrive configuration requirements.
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select Text/CSV.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – From the File Server dropdown list, select OneDrive.
Step 6 – In the Service Account box, enter the username of the service account that owns the file on OneDrive.
Step 7 – In the Delimiter box, specify the character that separates values in the file. You can also enter a space as a character.
Step 8 – In the Registered Application ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the application ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.
Step 9 – In the Secret box, enter the client secret you generated for the app registration. See Generate a client secret.
Step 10 – In the Registered Tenant ID on Azure Active Directory box, enter the tenant ID assigned to the Directory Manager application when you registered it in Microsoft Entra Admin Center.
Step 11 – Enter the name of the file in the File Name box. Include the file extension in the name,
for example, Employee Contact Details.csv.
Step 12 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the Text/CSV tab of the Data Sources page.
Create a Data Source for Oracle
You can create a data source for an Oracle server or a specific database on a server. You can use this data source in queries and as source and destination provider in Synchronize jobs. This provider supports dynamic schema detection.
Install the Oracle client to use this provider. Restart your computer after you install the Oracle client.
To create a data source:
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select Oracle.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – In the Oracle Server or Service Name box, enter the name of the Oracle service or the server you want to create the data source for.
Step 6 – In the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes, provide the username and password of a service account to connect to the Oracle server. When you use this data source in a Synchronize job, you can select the databases that these credentials can access.
Step 7 – In the Protocol box, specify the protocol for connecting to the databases on the Oracle server. For example, TCP, or TCP/IP.
Step 8 – In the HostName box, enter the name of the machine that hosts the Oracle server.
Step 9 – In the Port Number box, enter the port configured for the Oracle server. Directory Manager uses this port to communicate with the Oracle server.
Step 10 – In the Database or Schema (optional) box, specify the name of the database you want to create the data source for. If you leave this box blank, a Synchronize job displays all databases on the specified server, and the user can select one.
Step 11 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the Oracle tab of the Data Sources page.
Create a Data Source for SQL Server
Use Directory Manager to create a data source for an SQL database. You can use this data source in queries and as source and destination in Synchronize jobs. This provider supports dynamic schema detection.
To create a data source:
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select SQL Server.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – In the SQL Server Name box, enter the name or IP address of the SQL server that hosts the SQL database.
Step 6 – By default, Directory Manager uses SQL authentication to connect to the SQL server. In the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes, enter the username and password of an SQL server account to connect to the SQL server.
Step 7 – To connect to the SQL server with a Windows account, select the Windows Authentication checkbox. With Windows authentication, users have already logged on to Windows and don't have to log on separately to SQL Server.
Step 8 – In the SQL Server Database Name box, specify the SQL database to create a data source for.
Step 9 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the MS SQL Server tab of the Data Sources page.
Create a Data Source for ODBC
Use an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data source to connect to an ODBC-compatible provider, such as databases, directories, or even files. Examples include SQL server, MS Access files, and Oracle.
Create a separate data source for each ODBC-compatible file, database, or directory you want to use in queries or as source/destination in Synchronize jobs.
To create a data source:
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select ODBC.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – Enter the data source name (DSN) in the DSN box. Directory Manager uses this name to request a connection to the ODBC data source. Note the following:
- For a system DSN, provide the name of the DSN.
- For a file DSN, provide the file path with file name and extension.
Step 6 – Select the System DSN or File DSN option button to specify the DSN type for connecting to the data source.
Step 7 – If the data source is password protected, provide a username and password in the Service Account and Service Account Password boxes to access it. Depending on the data source, you might not need to provide both a username and password. For example, an MS Access database may need only a password, while an SQL server may require both username and password.
Step 8 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the ODBC tab of the Data Sources page.
Create a Data Source for SCIM
Directory Manager supports identity providers, namely Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, and Google Workspace, but it doesn't support Slack, AWS, JumpCloud, and GitHub. You can create a System for Cross-domain Identity Management (SCIM) data source for these and other providers to use them in queries and as source/destinations in Synchronize jobs. As a prerequisite, the provider must support SCIM and expose an endpoint URL that Directory Manager can consume.
To create a data source:
Step 1 – In Admin Center, click Data Sources in the left pane.
Step 2 – On the Data Sources page, click Create Data Source in the top right corner. The Create Data Source page opens.
Step 3 – In the Data Source Type dropdown list, select SCIM.
Step 4 – Enter a name for the data source in the Name box.
Step 5 – In the SCIM Endpoint box, enter the SCIM endpoint URL that the provider exposes.
Step 6 – In the Bearer Token box, enter the authentication token you generated in the provider.
Step 7 – Click Create Data Source. The data source is available on the SCIM tab of the Data Sources page.