The Self-Service Group Management Tool (Cayosoft) allows you to manage system permissions and membership in Active Directory (AD) groups through a simple user interface. If you are an owner of an Exchange Distribution List, SMB Research group, or a Box group, use this tool to manage permissions to your list/group via Active Directory. Note that you cannot manage NUValidate/NetID groups using this tool. For more information on using this tool see the Cayosoft Knowledge Base.
There are two types of groups that can be managed, the information below applies to both types of groups but both are distinct from each other. Only groups for which you are assigned ownership can managed through Cayosoft.
- Active Directory Groups (non-cloud based)
- These groups are managed within IT Active Directory infrastructure located “on site/on campus” and are also synchronized to the Azure Active Directory cloud. The groups can then be used by applications that exist “on site/on campus” and/or also exist within the cloud as well.
- They include Microsoft Exchange (Outlook) groups such as Distribution (Mailing) Lists and Active Directory security groups. Within Cayosoft, these groups may be referenced as “My AD Groups”, “AD Groups”, or “Synced.”
- Office 365 Groups (cloud based only)
- These groups exist and are managed solely within the Azure Active Directory cloud. They are often used for granting access to Microsoft 365 resources, such as SharePoint. Within Cayosoft, this group may be referenced as “My Office 365 Groups”, “Groups”, or “In Cloud.”
Log in at https://adsselfservice.it.northwestern.edu using your NetID and NetID password. You must use VPN if you want to use this tool from off campus.
Viewing groups I own
- From the left pane, select Self-Service > My AD Groups OR Self-Service > My Office 365 Groups
- Leave all search fields blank, then click Search. The list of all groups you own will be displayed.
Adding people to groups I own
- To the left of the group you wish to make changes to, click the checkmark
- In the Actions panel to the right, select Membership
- In the Find field, enter the name, NetID or email address of the person you want to add to your group, then click Add.
- When adding or looking up users, CayoSoft uses a wildcard search to find entries that are similar to the text that was entered. This may result in multiple matches: For example, searching for Doe may bring up Jane Doe, Doe Philips, etc. You may be presented with a dialog to select the result that you want to include along with information that identifies each entry.
- If multiple matches are found, you can use the information displayed in the columns for the search results to find the correct entry. Note that you can add additional columns by clicking on the menu button (3 vertical lines) located to the far right of the column names. Columns can also be expanded or sorted by click the 'down arrow' next to the column name.
- Use NetIDs to help further narrow down searches.
- Click the checkmark to the left of the user you wish to add
- Click Select, then click Update
- Note: You must click the Update button for the change to take effect. The button is located on the bottom of the 'Modify Membership' dialog box and may not be immediately be visible. Use the internet browser scroll bar to scroll down to see if needed.
- Note: The amount of time to process the request is dependent on the number of modifications being made and how busy the application is. This can take a few seconds to several minutes during which the screen may seem to be 'frozen'. Please be patient and do not close the window until the process completed. You can verify completion by referring to the 'Verifying Add/Removal Completion' section in this article
Removing people from groups I own
- Click the checkmark to the left of the group you wish to make changes to
- Click Membership in the Actions column to the right of your groups
- Scroll to find the user you wish to remove
- Click the checkmark to the left of the users' entry
- Click Remove Member(s), then click Update
- Note: You must click the Update button for the change to take effect. The button is located on the bottom of the 'Modify Membership' dialog box and may not be immediately be visible. Use the internet browser scroll bar to scroll down to see if needed.
- Note: The amount of time to process the request is dependent on the number of modifications being made and how busy the application is. This can take a few seconds to several minutes during which the screen may seem to be 'frozen'. Please be patient and do not close the window until the process completes. You can verify completion by referring to the 'Verifying Add/Removal Completion' section in this article.
Verifying Add/Removal Completion
- After adding/removing users from groups, the operation results can be viewed in one of three ways
- A 'Results' window will appear immediately after the operation has completed with a list of the operation and a status for each (e.g. successful)
- The 'Activities' icon located on the upper right of the screen will list notifications of any operation for the current logged in session. Pressing this icon will show the 'Results' window for all actions within the logged session (see above)
- The 'Actions' menu (located on the right side) 'Change History' sub-menu item will show an audit history for the selected item that is opened in a new browser tab/window. Details for each entry can be viewed by clicking on the 'expand details' link on the far right side
- Note: You must select an item to view from the search pane for which to see the 'Change History'
Signing out of the AD Group Management Tool
- At the upper right of your window beneath the Person icon locate your NetID
- Click the Person icon then click Sign Out
Group Owner Assignment in Cayosoft (Active Directory/Azure Active Directory Group administrators only)
- Active Directory
- Locate and select the group in Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC). See Viewing groups I own, above for help with this.
- Click on the checkbox to select the group then click Properties.
- In the Managed By (Owner) field, enter the name of the individual or group who will manage the group in Cayosoft.
- Click apply.
- Office 365
- Locate the group through the Azure Active Directory Admin Center portal. This will be located under the ‘Groups’ section.
- Select the group and under the ‘Manage’ submenu for the group, select the ‘Owners’ item. Specify an owner.
- Note: This will also allow the owner to manage membership through the Office 365 portal.
Note: Administration of group membership in Active Directory using the AD Users and Computers management console (ADUC) required navigating to the “Managed By” tab under the properties of a security group and entering the new owners' Name and checking "Manager can update membership list" checkbox. Often, administrators would fill out only the “Name” field to act as an “FYI” as to who manages a group, without actually giving them permission to do so. Please use caution when defining any new security groups within your OU as you may inadvertently give someone rights to manage group membership through Cayosoft.
Known Issues
- Internet Explorer is not recommended. Use Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome instead.
- The Change History report shows a blank value in the Previous Value column.
- When adding multiple users to a group, enter one or more net id's, names or email addresses separated by a ; (semi-colon). Using anything other than a semi-colon when adding more than one user at a time will cause nothing to happen. No alerts or errors will appear.
- If you manage more groups than shown in the display dropdown, you will not see all of your groups. Set default to All if needed.
- The Display Name field may be blank prior to saving changes to a group. The field populates once saved.
- There is a 20-minute delay for changes to replicate between OWA and the Self-Service Group management interfaces
- Logging in to the tool from mobile devices is not supported.
- When adding members to a group, the resulting initial listing in the Modify Membership grid may be missing entry information in the columns (e.g. display name). This information is refreshed after closing this dialog and reopening it in Cayosoft.
Keywords: Cayosoft "Active Directory" Groups AD Box "Distribution List" SMB
Created: 2018-09-28 19:38:37
Updated: 2021-10-13 20:34:37