Create Distribution Group in ADDS from CSV file.

Hi there

This article it’s to show how to create DG (Distribution Groups) from CSV file into ADDS.

We got an export from Lotus Notes Distribution Group (same client) where we have:

Group Name
Members: with CN and email (as contacts) on the same column

Challenges

create the Distribution Groups from CSV file (as is, with blank spaces on name)
import members into ADDS Distribution Groups
import contacts into ADDS Distribution Groups, based on the column A (group name) and column E (members)

Script #1 – Creating Distribution Groups in ADDS from CSV file

############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################### 
# Author Thiago Beier thiago.beier@gmail.com 
# Version: 1.0 - 2020-07-16 
#
# Create Distribution Groups in ADDS
# Create a DG if doesn't exist
# Create all DG with a prefix "D-CA-" from CSV file
# DG groups need mail and proxyaddresses attributes in AD to work after they're synced to AzureAD/Office365 tenant
# You can add, replace, remove any attribute as needeed.
#
# Toronto, CANADA 
# Email: thiago.beier@gmail.com 
# https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbeier/ 
# https://twitter.com/thiagobeier 
# https://thiagobeier.wordpress.com

###############################################################################################################################################################################################################################################

clear

$dt=get-date -format yyyy-MM-dd-hhmm
Start-Transcript log-$dt.txt

#$file=IMPORT-CSV .\dg1.csv
$file=IMPORT-CSV .\dgroups-members.csv

$dgemail = $null
$dgname = $null
$groupobjid = $null

FOREACH ($line in $file)
{


$dgemail = $line.email+"@thebeier.com"
#$dgemail
$dgname = "D-CA-"+$line.GroupName

write-host "setting DG email address $dgemail to" $dgname -ForegroundColor Green 

# If the group exists, inform, if it does not exist also inform.


If (Get-ADGroup -Filter * | where {$_.Name -like $dgname}) 


{


$dgname
Write-Host "$dgname already exists in Active Directory" -ForegroundColor Green

$groupobjid = (Get-ADGroup -Filter * | where {$_.Name -like "$dgname"}).ObjectGUID
$groupobjid

Set-ADGroup $dgname -Add @{mail = "$dgemail"}
Set-ADGroup $dgname -Add @{proxyAddresses = "SMTP:$dgemail"}


}
Else
{

Write-Host "I am sorry, $dgname does not exist." -ForegroundColor RED

$OUpath="OU=DistributionGroups,DC=thebeier,DC=local"
write-host "creating group:" $dgname -ForegroundColor Yellow


New-ADGroup -Name "$dgname" -SamAccountName "$dgname" -GroupCategory Distribution -GroupScope Universal -Path $OUpath -Description $line.Description
Set-ADGroup $dgname -Add @{mail = "$dgemail"}
Set-ADGroup $dgname -Add @{proxyAddresses = "SMTP:$dgemail"}

}

}


Stop-Transcript