Synchronize Active Directory Users to Cloud Voice

Once Cloud Voice is connected to Active Directory (AD), you can define a rule that decides which AD users become extensions on the phone system. Cloud Voice creates an extension for every user the rule covers and, on each synchronization afterward, applies any changes made in the directory so the two stay aligned.

There are two ways to build the rule:

• Sync a range of AD users automatically, pick a scope (all users, an organizational unit, a group, or a search filter) and let Cloud Voice create and number the extensions for you.
• Sync specific AD users manually, search the directory, choose individual users, and pair each one with the extension you want.

Before you begin

You must have already integrated Cloud Voice with Active Directory.

Note

The number of AD users you can synchronize is capped by the number of extensions your Cloud Voice system is allowed to create.

Sync a range of AD users automatically

Define the set of AD users to bring in and an auto-assignment rule for extension numbers. Cloud Voice then matches users to extensions on its own during each synchronization.

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice management portal and go to Integrations > Collaboration.

2. In the User Synchronization section, turn the switch on.

   

3. Open the User Range for Extension Auto Creation drop-down list and choose which AD users to synchronize and create extensions for.

   

   Option	What it does
   All Users	Brings in every AD user in the connected directory and creates an extension for each.
   Users in Specific Organizational Unit	Brings in the users in one or more organizational units. Choose them in the Organizational Units drop-down list.
   Users in Specific Group	Brings in the users in one or more groups. Choose them in the Group drop-down list.
   Users Searched by Filter	Brings in the users that match an LDAP search filter you enter in the Search Filter for User field.

   If you pick Users in Specific Organizational Unit, select the units to include:

   

   If you pick Users in Specific Group, select the groups to include:

   

   If you pick Users Searched by Filter, enter your LDAP filter. For example, (&(objectCategory=person)(objectClass=user)(cn=sales*)) returns users whose name begins with “sales”.

   

   Note

   If you later narrow the range of users you sync, the Auto delete the Extensions no longer in sync option controls what happens to extensions that fall outside the new scope.

   

   • Selected: those extensions are removed at the next synchronization.
   • Cleared: those extensions stay and become fully managed by Cloud Voice.

4. In the User’s Extension Number drop-down list, set the rule for numbering the extensions.

   

   Option	What it does
   Assign Automatically	Numbers extensions sequentially from a starting value you set in the Start Extension Number from field.
   Read Specific Property Value	Reads each user’s extension number from an AD property, so users who already have a number keep it instead of getting a new one. Name the property (for example, ipPhone) in the Property Name field.

   Tip

   For AD property names, see Microsoft’s Active Directory user object attributes.

5. In the Delete the Extension when its associated user account is drop-down list, choose the AD account states that make Cloud Voice stop syncing a user and remove their extension.

   

   Option	What it does
   Expired	Stops syncing and deletes the extension when the AD account expires.
   Disabled	Stops syncing and deletes the extension when the AD account is disabled.
   Deleted	Stops syncing and deletes the extension when the AD account is deleted.

   Caution

   Any state you select here deletes the linked extension automatically. For example, if you choose Disabled, disabling that person’s account in Active Directory removes their Cloud Voice extension (along with its settings and voicemail) at the next synchronization. A deleted extension cannot be recovered.

6. Decide how to handle the Auto associate Extensions with the Users that share the same email address option, which governs AD users whose email matches an existing Cloud Voice extension. The email is read from the AD field you set for the Email Address mapping in the Map section.

   • Selected: the matching AD user is synced and linked to that extension, and the extension’s user details are overwritten with the values from AD.
   • Cleared: the matching AD user is not synced, because Cloud Voice does not allow duplicate email addresses on extensions.

   Note

   For security, we recommend preventing AD users from changing their own email addresses.

7. To email a welcome message to each synced user, select Send Welcome Email automatically after an extension is created.

8. In the Map section, choose and pair the fields for the user details you want to carry over from AD.

   

   Note

   • Use Microsoft’s Active Directory user object attributes reference to fill in the Active Directory field names.
   • Turning off mapping for a field leaves it out of the sync, and you can then edit that field directly on the extension in Cloud Voice.

9. Click Save.

   Note

   • The first time you save these settings, Cloud Voice runs the initial synchronization right away.
   • After that, you can run a synchronization manually or let the scheduled synchronization handle it.

Sync specific AD users manually

Set the search scope, pick the exact AD users you want, and assign each one an extension by hand.

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice management portal and go to Integrations > Collaboration.

2. In the User Synchronization section, turn the switch on.

   

3. In the User Range for Extension Auto Creation drop-down list, choose Specific Users.

   

   Note

   If you later change which users you sync, the Auto delete the Extensions no longer in sync option controls what happens to extensions that fall out of scope.

   

   • Selected: those extensions are removed at the next synchronization.
   • Cleared: those extensions stay and become fully managed by Cloud Voice.

4. In the Search Criteria drop-down list, set where Cloud Voice looks for AD users.

   Option	What it does
   Search Users by Organizational Unit	Searches within the organizational units you select in the Organizational Unit drop-down list.
   Search Users by Group	Searches within the groups you select in the Group drop-down list.

   If you search by organizational unit, choose the units:

   

   If you search by group, choose the groups:

   

5. Click Search AD Users. Cloud Voice searches the scope you set and lists the matches in the Search Result List.

   

   Tip

   Use the Search field in the top-right corner to jump to a user by name.

6. Select the users you want and click Synchronize to PBX. They move into the Synchronization List.

   

7. For each user, open the Associate with Extension drop-down list next to their name and pick the extension to assign.

   

   Tip

   To break a link, select the user and click Disassociate at the top of the list. The user is separated from the extension after you save.

8. In the Delete the Extension when its associated user account is drop-down list, choose the AD account states that make Cloud Voice stop syncing a user and remove their extension.

   

   Option	What it does
   Expired	Stops syncing and deletes the extension when the AD account expires.
   Disabled	Stops syncing and deletes the extension when the AD account is disabled.
   Deleted	Stops syncing and deletes the extension when the AD account is deleted.

   Caution

   Any state you select here deletes the linked extension automatically. For example, if you choose Disabled, disabling that person’s account in Active Directory removes their Cloud Voice extension (along with its settings and voicemail) at the next synchronization. A deleted extension cannot be recovered.

9. To email a welcome message to each synced user, select Send Welcome Email automatically after an extension is created.

10. In the Map section, choose and pair the fields for the user details you want to carry over from AD.

    

    Note

    • Use Microsoft’s Active Directory user object attributes reference to fill in the Active Directory field names.
    • Turning off mapping for a field leaves it out of the sync, and you can then edit that field directly on the extension in Cloud Voice.

11. Click Save.

    Note

    • The first time you save these settings, Cloud Voice runs the initial synchronization right away.
    • After that, you can run a synchronization manually or let the scheduled synchronization handle it.

Result

Your custom synchronization rule is now in place. On each run, Cloud Voice queries Active Directory over LDAP using your rule and pulls in the matching users along with their latest details. After a synchronization:

• You can review the outcome in the User Synchronization section.

  

• Extensions tied to AD users carry a marker and cannot be deleted by hand in Cloud Voice.

• When field mapping is enabled, the following details on those extensions can no longer be edited directly in Cloud Voice, change them in Active Directory instead, and they update on the next synchronization:

  • Last name
  • First name
  • Email Address
  • Mobile Number
  • Job Title
  • Avatar

What to do next

To let synced users sign in to the Cloud Voice App with their AD domain accounts, see Allow Users to Sign In to the Cloud Voice App with AD Domain Accounts.