CSVDE / LDIFDE (Directory Exchange)

Import or Export Active Directory data to a file. The syntax of these two commands is identical, the difference being that one works with CSV files and one with LDIF files.

Syntax


   Export to file:
             CSVDE [-f FileName] [options]
            LDIFDE [-f FileName] [options]

   Import from File:
             CSVDE -i [-f FileName] [options]
            LDIFDE -i [-f FileName] [options]
Key
     -f  Filename     Input or Output filename
     -s  servername   The server to bind to
     -c  FromDN ToDN  Replace occurrences of FromDN to ToDN
     -v               Verbose
     -j  Path\LogFile Logfile location
     -t  Port Number (default = 389)
     -?  Help
  
Export options
     -d RootDN       The root of the LDAP search (Default to Naming Context)
     -r Filter       LDAP search filter (Default to "(objectClass=*)")
     -p SearchScope  Search Scope (Base/OneLevel/Subtree)
     -l list         Attributes to look for in an LDAP search
                     (comma separated List)
     -o list         Attributes  to omit from input
                     (comma separated list)
     -g              Disable Paged Search
     -m              Enable the SAM logic on export
     -n              Do not export binary values
  
 Import options
     -k      Ignore 'Constraint Violation' and 'Object Already Exists' errors.

     Note to successfully import a file it must contain as a minimum
     The DN(distinguished name), DisplayName and ObjectClass
		
Username/Password credentials
     -a      Sets the command to run using the supplied user distinguished name
             and password. For example: "cn=yourname,dc=yourcompany,dc-com
             password"	
     -b      Sets the command to run as username domain password. The default is
             to run using the credentials of the currently logged on user.

CSV (comma-separated value) format files can be read with MS Excel and are easily modified with a batch script.
LDIF files (Ldap Data Interchange Format) are a cross-platform standard. This provides a method to populate Active Directory with data from other directory services. (e.g. Netscape NDS, Novell NDS/eDirectory, Oracle Internet Directory)

Passwords
For security reasons neither of these tools will export passwords. When you import an account it is given a null password, if the domain has a password length policy, then the account will be disabled (You can re-enable accounts in bulk with a script)

Compatibility
CSVDE and LDIFDE are supplied with Windows 2000/2003 Server but can also be run on Win2000 Professional and XP Professional (i.e run remotely against the Active Directory Server.)

Examples

Export the whole domain
CSVDE -f MyDomain.csv

Export all users with a particular surname:
CSVDE -f MyUsers.csv -r (and(objectClass=User)(sn=Surname))

Import the whole domain
CSVDE -i -f MyDomain.csv -j C:\MyLogfile.txt

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
- Emma Lazarus

Related Commands:

Q271517 - Ldifde fails if an attribute contains blank spaces.
Q327620 - Import contacts and users with CSVDE
Q263991 - How to set a user's password with Ldifde
Q276440 - Backup and Restore Connection Agreements with CSVDE

Equivalent Linux BASH commands:

ldapadd - Add LDAP information