Work with a user roster file

A user roster file is an efficient tool for managing users in bulk.

You can perform the following tasks for multiple users in bulk by uploading a user roster file into Möbius:

  • Create new users
  • Enroll users into a class
  • Update Möbius's existing user information
  • Remove (or unenroll) users from a class
  • Delete users from the system

NOTE:Administrator and instructor + create roles are able to create a new user profile if they don't already exist in the system by uploading a user roster file. By defining the new user's attributes in the user roster file, the user will be added to the system (and enrolled in the class if the roster file is being uploaded from the Class Homepage). If you don't have the required permissions to create a user, you'll only be able to enroll, remove (unenroll), or update existing Möbius users; not create them. Check out Create a user.

User roster file details:

  • Must be a text file (.txt extension) or a comma-separated value file (.csv extension)
  • Fields must be delimited by comma or tab
  • File must have only one student per line
  • Column header strings aren't case-sensitive

TIP: Your user roster file can also be an Excel spreadsheet saved as a CSV file.

User roster files are imported into Möbius using the Class User Manager menu (on the Class Homepage) or the System User Manager menu (from the System Homepage menu), depending on the task you're completing.

Create users with a user roster file

Use this table to guide you through attribute requirements while creating your user roster text file to use for creating users:

NOTE: You can only create users if you have the correct permissions (Exampleadministrator and instructor + create roles).

Attribute nameAccepted attribute column header stringsColumn heading and attribute value requiredRequired to be unique

Notes

Login or Username
  • login
  • username
YesYes 
First Name
  • first name
  • first
YesNo 
Middle Initial
  • initial
  • mi
NoNo

 

Last Name
  • last name
  • last
YesNo 
Email Address
  • email
NoYes 
Student Identification
  • student id
  • student
NoYes 
Password
  • password
NoNo

A password will be generated by the system if a password isn't provided in the user roster file.

The generated passwords are displayed on the roster upload success page only when uploading a user roster file from the System User Manager.

User Role
  • role
NoNo

Can be defined as one of the following:

  • Guest
  • Student
  • Proctor
  • Instructor
  • Instructor + create
  • Administrator

Role will be the system role if user roster file is to be imported using the System Homepage.

Role will be the class role if user roster file is to be imported using the Class Homepage.

User Role can't exceed the role level of the user who'll be importing the roster.

Your organization might have custom roles that you can choose from.

Require Validation Upon First Login Attempt
  • require user validation
  • validate
  • require_user_validation
NoNo

Determines requirement for user validation upon first log in attempt.

If defined as true, the user will be asked to validate their profile upon their next log in attempt.

If defined as false, the user won't need to validate their profile upon their next log in attempt.

The default value is true.

Therefore, at minimum, your user roster file for creating a new user requires these attributes:

  • Log in
  • First name
  • Last name

If a password for the user isn't provided, Möbius will generate one.

TIP: Use two consecutive delimiters as an empty attribute field if you weren't provided the user's data.

TIP: Check out the Create a user with the Import Users From Roster option section of the Create a user help topic to create new users by uploading a user roster file, either from the System Homepage or Class Homepage.

TIP: Your user roster file could have the following attribute column headers:

  • Examplelogin, first, last, email, student, password, role, validate

Here's a sample user roster text file that has been created with these attribute column headers:

A sample comma separated text file to be used as a user roster file.

NOTE: If your organization uses LDAP authentication, the Login attribute in the roster text file must be the user's LDAP username. All other user data is retrieved from the LDAP server. Check out Integrate with an LDAP server.

Enroll users with a user roster file

Only the user login attribute should be included in your user roster file when enrolling existing users into a class.

NOTE: Without the privileges to create new users (Exampleadministrator and instructor + create roles), users must already exist in Möbius in order for you to enroll them into your class using a user roster file. Check out the Enroll users with a user roster file section of the Enroll users into my class help topic to learn how to use your user roster file to enroll users into a class.

NOTE: If you have the privileges to create new users (Exampleadministrator and instructor + create roles), you can simultaneously create new users and enroll those new users into your class. Check out the Import Users From Roster option on Class Homepage section of the Create a user help topic to learn how to simultaneously create and enroll users with a user roster file.

NOTE: If your organization uses LDAP authentication, the Login attribute in the roster text file must be the user's LDAP username. All other user data is retrieved from the LDAP server. Check out Integrate with an LDAP server.

Update a user roster file

User roster files can be used to update the information of users that already exist in the system.

You can:

  • Make changes locally on your computer to the user roster file that you've already uploaded and upload it again
  • Create a new user roster file that contains only the users you want to update

TIP: If you don't have the ability to create a new user because of your allowed privileges, you can still update existing users in Möbius using a user roster file. Check out the Create a user with the Import Users From Roster option section of the Create a user help topic to update existing users with a user roster file.

Notes on updating users with a user roster file:

  • The system will detect the differences in non-empty attribute fields in your uploaded roster file compared to the existing user attributes in the database and overwrite them using the updated attributes.
  • The only mandatory attribute column heading when submitting an updated user roster file is Login or Username (all other column headings are optional).
  • Attribute column headings not included in the import won't be updated in the system.
  • Empty attribute fields (indicated by two consecutive delimiters) are ignored by the system and no data will be overwritten.
  • One or more consecutive spaces between delimiters will be trimmed and act as two consecutive delimiters.
  • A <Null> string value is used to remove an existing attribute in the system.

Remove users from a class with a user roster file

Users can be removed—or unenrolled—from a class in bulk using a user roster file.

Only the user login attribute should be included in your user roster file when removing users from your class.

TIP: Check out Remove a user to learn how to unenroll a student from a class.

Delete users from the system with a user roster file

Administrators can delete users from the system in bulk using a user roster file.

Only the user login attribute should be included in your user roster file when deleting users from the system.

TIP: Check out Delete a user to learn how to delete users from the system as an administrator.