How to Importing And Exporting Data from the Directory with examples

Using Directory Export

(i)         The Directory Export utility can be used to copy objects and their properties to a file called an export file. The export file is a text file in a comma-separated value format (CSV). The new properties can be entered in the export file through any application that can read a text file as well as search, replace, and input data (Microsoft Excel is an example). Below is an example of an export file , Obj – Class, Display Name, Alias Name, Home server, Telephone- Office.

(ii)        The top line in the above example is the header line. It is like the name of the columns in a table. In the example above, the first column name is Obj-Class, which denotes the type of objects in that column, e.g. mailboxes, distribution lists, etc. the remaining headers are self-explanatory. The lines following the header line are the exchange recipient objects and their properties. In below mention Table, we placed the export file into a table format.

Obj-Class	Display Names	Alias Name	Home server	Telephone Official
Mail box	Mike Andrews	M Andrews	Education Server	201-555-6161
Mailbox	Sally Jones	S Jones	Education Server	201-555

Using Directory Import        Before you import this file back into the   exchange Directory, edit the file to reflect the changes you want. First edit the header  line to inform the import process how to process the file. This is done by adding the   word ‘Mode’ to the header line; then on each line containing an object(i.e. Mailbox, Mike Andrews, etc.), place the mode that will be used for that line. The options for  the Mode field are: create, delete and modify. The header line for our example would then look like :-

(i)         Obj –Class, Mode, Display Name, Alias Name, Home server, Telephone – Official

(ii)        We would also insert the word ‘modify’ as a new second field        for each object that we want modified. That would look like

(iii)       Mailbox, modify, Mike Andrews, M Andrews, Education Server, 201-555-6161

 (iv)       The final edit is to use a search and replace tool to change the current area code from 201 to the new number, for example, 212. this change, plus our earlier edits, are listed below :-

(aa)   Obj – Class, Mode, Display Name, Alias Name, Home server, Telephone – Official

(ab)  Mailbox, modify, Mike Andrews, M Andrews, Education Server, 212-555-6161

(ac) Mailbox, modify, Sally Jones, S Jones, Education Server, 212-555-6161