Overview of School Data Sync
- 6 minutes to read
School Data Sync
School Data Sync (SDS) is a free service in Office 365 for Education that reads the school and roster data from a school's Student Information System (SIS). It creates Office 365 Groups for Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, class teams for Microsoft Teams and OneNote Class notebooks, school groups for Intune for Education, and rostering and SSO integration for many other third party applications.
SDS helps to automate the process of importing and synchronizing Student Information System (SIS) data with Office 365. The tool also gives application developers a single cloud API to use for creating applications that integrate with multiple SIS providers, along with single sign-on (SSO) capabilities. App developers can use the API to access section, student, teacher, school, and class roster information to personalize experiences for teachers and students who use their apps.
To access SDS, simply log in to sds.microsoft.com, or open SDS from the Office 365 Admin Center. Microsoft provides free, one-on-one support to deploy School Data Sync. Sign up for free deployment support today.
To learn more about School Data Sync please visit https://sds.microsoft.com.
Choose a deployment method
There are several methods available for syncing SIS information with Office 365: Using comma separated value (CSV) files, including CSV files in the SDS format, CSV files in the Clever format and OneRoster CSV files, or using an API such as PowerSchool or OneRoster. Regardless of the method you choose, the same requirements apply.
School Data Sync requirements
- An Office 365 Education tenant
- Global Administrator Permissions
Deployment methods using CSV Files
The CSV method requires the creation and/or export of data from the SIS into one of the supported CSV formats listed below.
Deploy School Data Sync using SDS format CSV files
SDS CSV V1 file format
You can use School Data Sync formatted CSV files to help import SIS data into Office 365. Using this method, you'll export or create SDS format CSV files for School Data Sync based on your SIS data, set up a synchronization profile, and upload the CSV files into SDS for processing.
How to deploy School Data Sync by using SDS format CSV files
SDS CSV V2 file format
Using this method, you will export or create CSV files for School Data Sync from your SIS data, set up a synchronization profile, and upload the CSVs into SDS for processing. The reasons you might want to use the SDS CSV V2 file format are as follows:
- It’s simple - Just four files
- users.csv - includes all users synced, the user roles, and enables you to define the teaching or learning level for each user.
- orgs.csv - includes all organizations and enables you to define an organizational hierarchy.
- classes.csv - includes all classes and their org association.
- enrollments.csv - includes all class enrollments and enables you to define user roles for each class.
- The new SDS V2 CSV format supports 28 user roles most commonly found across K12 and Higher Education.
- The new SDS V2 CSV format will support Section Roles in addition to User Organization role, which is common in Higher Education.
- The SDS V2 CSV format supports multiple Org Associations.
- With the new CSV format, SDS is supporting many new values.
Click here to see a list of what is NOT supported in the V2 format.
How to deploy School Data Sync using SDS V2 CSV files
Deploy School Data Sync using Clever format CSV files
Clever is an identity management and rostering solution. School Data Sync allows you to use CSV files in the Clever format to import and synchronize SIS data with Office 365. Using this method, you'll export or create Clever Format CSV files for School Data Sync based on your SIS data, set up a synchronization profile, and upload the CSV files into SDS for processing.
How to deploy School Data Sync using Clever format CSV files
Deploy School Data Sync using OneRoster format CSV files
OneRoster is an industry standard for SIS data formatting. School Data Sync allow you to use CSV files in the OneRoster format to import and synchronize SIS data with Office 365. Using this method, you'll export or create OneRoster Format CSV files for School Data Sync based on your SIS data, run them through a conversion process to the appropriate SDS format, setup a sync profile, and then upload the converted CSV files into SDS for processing.
How to deploy School Data Sync by using OneRoster format CSV files
Deployment methods using API
An API connection is a direct connection to the SIS. School Data Sync supports using the PowerSchool API and the OneRoster API.
Deploy School Data Sync using PowerSchool SIS API
PowerSchool is a SIS provider that works with School Data Sync (SDS) to help import and synchronize SIS data with Office 365. SDS connects directly to the SIS and synchronizes data using the REST-based APIs provided by PowerSchool. Using this method, you can avoid exporting and managing CSV files from the SIS database. Instead, you create a synchronization profile in SDS and sync directly from your PowerSchool SIS.
How to deploy School Data Sync by using PowerSchool API
Deploy School Data Sync using OneRoster API
OneRoster is an industry standard and format that SIS providers leverage, which works with School Data Sync (SDS) to help import and synchronize data to Office 365. SDS connects directly to the OneRoster formatted SIS and synchronizes data using the OneRoster APIs. Using this method, you can avoid exporting and managing CSV files from the SIS database. Instead, you create a synchronization profile in SDS and sync directly from your OneRoster API accessible SIS.
How to deploy School Data Sync by using OneRoster API
Deployment methods using CSV Files
The CSV method requires the creation and/or export of data from the SIS into one of the supported CSV formats listed below.
Deploy School Data Sync using SDS format CSV files
You can use School Data Sync formatted CSV files to help import SIS data into Office 365. Using this method, you'll export or create SDS format CSV files for School Data Sync based on your SIS data, set up a synchronization profile, and upload the CSV files into SDS for processing.
How to deploy School Data Sync by using SDS format CSV files
Deploy School Data Sync using Clever format CSV files
Clever is an identity management and rostering solution. School Data Sync allows you to use CSV files in the Clever format to import and synchronize SIS data with Office 365. Using this method, you'll export or create Clever Format CSV files for School Data Sync based on your SIS data, set up a synchronization profile, and upload the CSV files into SDS for processing.
How to deploy School Data Sync using Clever format CSV files
Deploy School Data Sync using OneRoster format CSV files
OneRoster is an industry standard for SIS data formatting. School Data Sync allow you to use CSV files in the OneRoster format to import and synchronize SIS data with Office 365. Using this method, you'll export or create OneRoster Format CSV files for School Data Sync based on your SIS data, run them through a conversion process to the appropriate SDS format, setup a sync profile, and then upload the converted CSV files into SDS for processing.
How to deploy School Data Sync by using OneRoster format CSV files
Related Topics
CSV File Sync Automation SDS errors SDS Helper Scripts
SDS Sign Up
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