Folks, I'm trying to import a MASSIVE list of groups and their members from a csv file into AD.

The csv is in this format:

group,members
group1,"user1,user2,user3"
group2,"user4,user5,user6"

The code I started with was (in 2 stages):

1. Create the groups

$file = import-csv c:\test1.csv ; foreach ($line in $file) {New-DistributionGroup -name $line.DLName -organizationalunit 'OU=GW DLs,DC=company,DC=com' ; set-distributiongroup $line.DLName  -customAttribute9 "GW"}

2. Add the users:

foreach ($line in $file) {$line.members -split ',' | %{get-recipient $_ | Add-DistributionGroupMember $line.DLName}}

This would work if the users didn't have duplicates all over the place (most have a user AND a contact...), but it craps out because of the duplicates (e.g. user1 is the alias for a mbx and contact). So I split them up into:

foreach ($line in $file) {$line.members -split ',' | %{get-mailbox $_ | Add-DistributionGroupMember $line.DLName

And did the same for each type (get-mailuser, get-distributiongroup etc).

This took over 2 days to complete,probably because I'm doing client-side filtering or something) and it's still not great - I think some of the nested group memberships didn't work properly. (I looked at Add-AdGroupMember but this apparently crashes out if the object is already a member.)

Can anyone give me a better way of doing this that will work reliably, and quicker! I'd like to add ALL of the duplicates, not just the mbxs for example.

Many thanks,

F.

• Edited by FergusStrachan Friday, July 10, 2015 6:51 AM

You can use https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Bulk-Import-Group-members-a5cbd3c8 if you change input format to something like:

group,members
group1,user1
group1,user2
group1,user3
group2,user4
group2,user5
group2,user6

I am not sure if it creates the groups but try it.

• Edited by Slava Fedenko 19 hours 16 minutes ago

Thanks Slava, I thought of that but I have 2400 groups each containing up to hundreds of members, so it's not really practical!

You can use https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Bulk-Import-Group-members-a5cbd3c8 if you change input format to something like:

group,members
group1,user1
group1,user2
group1,user3
group2,user4
group2,user5
group2,user6

I am not sure if it creates the groups but try it.

• Edited by Slava Fedenko Friday, July 10, 2015 12:11 PM

Hi,

Also post the updated link here.

Hi,

Few things that might help you,

"I looked at Add-AdGroupMember but this apparently crashes out if the object is already a member.)"

• Set $ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue" to skip the errors  or
• Use Try_Catch_ to handle\skip errors
• Difficult to say which code is efficient and which not, Leverage Measure-Command to time sections of code

Thanks all.

Posted in suggested forum:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/scriptcenter/en-US/8eb9d93a-60a7-4ebb-841f-06ed765f97a2/creating-distribution-groups-and-adding-members?forum=ITCG