Chi di voi usa GAM nella Console Admin? Raccontate la vostra esperienza!

[andrealamanna]

Ciao a tutti, colleghi amministratori!

Sono davvero curioso di capire quanti di voi, qui nella nostra community, utilizzano GAM (Google Apps Manager) per la gestione dei vostri account Google Workspace for Education.

In particolare, mi piacerebbe sapere:

• Chi di voi usa GAM direttamente dalla console di amministrazione Google? Oppure, se lo usate, come lo integrate nel vostro flusso di lavoro quotidiano?
• In che modo GAM viene sfruttato all'interno dei vostri account educational scolastici? Quali sono le operazioni principali che riuscite ad automatizzare o semplificare grazie a GAM?
  • Gestione utenti (creazione massiva, modifica attributi, ecc.)?
  • Gestione gruppi?
  • Gestione licenze?
  • Applicazione di impostazioni di sicurezza o conformità?
  • Reportistica o audit?
  • Qualcos'altro di specifico?
• Quali sono, secondo voi, i maggiori vantaggi e le eventuali sfide o limiti nell'uso di GAM in un contesto scolastico?
• Avete sviluppato script o soluzioni personalizzate basate su GAM che vorreste condividere?

Il mio obiettivo è avviare una discussione costruttiva per scambiare idee, imparare dalle vostre best practice e magari scoprire nuovi modi per ottimizzare la gestione delle nostre infrastrutture di Google Workspace for Education.

Non siate timidi, ogni contributo è prezioso per me e per tutti! Aspetto i vostri commenti e le vostre esperienze!

Grazie in anticipo per la vostra partecipazione!

[Kim_Nilsson]

1. Who among you uses GAM directly from the Google Admin console?
   • That's impossible, so nobody does that.
   • GAM is a binary which needs to be on directly on a computer (either physical or a virtual machine in the cloud).
   • Alternatively, it can be run in its uncompiled python form, which again requires a computer.
   •  
2. How is GAM used within your school educational accounts?
   • I use it to manage delegated accounts, orphaned Classrooms, removing deprecated Contacts from users (employees who left or passed away), transfer ownership of Drive folder.
   • Very often I print filtered lists of users and devices.
   • I also have scheduled GAM commands. Printing devices for CB_LookUp (an open source web app I built, for letting non-admin view info about devices) and CB_QueryDetails (web app to manage devices, found with CB_LookUp, without having to log into admin console).
   • Another scheduled command updates a custom attribute, which is used for the SAML connection to the external tool Canva, assigning the role staff to relevant users.
   • Most of the things you mention there, I have Microsoft MIM which automates the lifecycle of users, groups. I assign licences automatically by OU.
3. What do you think are the major benefits and any challenges or limitations in using GAM in a school context?
   • Managing orphaned Classrooms is by far the biggest benefit.
   • Apart from managing delegated accounts, which I do a lot. So much so, actually, that I built another web app for that, userDelegationWebApp. Aimed at those that don't want to use GAM for delegation, and actually let other, non-admins manage delegations.
   • And of course any bulk management which can't be done in the admin console.
4. Have you developed any custom GAM-based scripts or solutions that you would like to share?
   • Absolutely! 🙂 You can find them in my github, and here are a few specific links.
   • gamselect - Easily choose a GAM7/GAMADV-XTD3 section and indicate in the terminal prompt which is active
   • gamUploader - gamUploader uploads and opens MS Office files in the right Google Workspace app in Chrome
   • gamupdate - Scripts to update GAM7 & GAMADV-XTD3 if there is an update available
   • gamscripts - Scripts I use for GAM, and have deemed worthy to publish.
   • I use many more scripts, but they are not published.

[andrealamanna]

Grazie @Kim_Nilsson per la tua condivisione 😀

[jasoncrcsd]

We use GAM all the time. I've been putting the common things I do in a python script just so I don't have to retype the commands. We have seperate OUs for each schools devices with different settings applied that are rewuired at different times but it seems our Inventory is never up to date enough for me to export a list of ones at that building so I was able to query the devices IP (compare that to ranges in the network IP scopes and determine their location and then move them to an OU) As I add more things I just add them to the script that makes it more user friendly for repediative things

def main():
while True:
print("\nSelect an option:")
print("1. Delegate Mailbox")
print("2. Delete Delegate")
print("3. List Delegates")
print("4. Move Devices by Serial Number") # Renamed for clarity
print("5. Get Chromebook Location")
print("6. Move Student Devices by Location (IP Range)") # New option
print("7. Exit")

[andrealamanna]

Grazie jasoncrcsd per la condivisione 

[Kim_Nilsson]

That's clever, building a single script for most common things.

I usually create separate scripts. So I can mess with them individually without breaking something else. 🙂

[MattDPenn]

I primarily use GAM to move students and devices en masse at the beginning of the school year. Otherwise not a whole lot.

I've been meaning to delve deeper into GAM but with our small school size there hasn't really been much need. With the licensing changes it probably would behoove me to find a script for moving/archiving users in one go.

[andrealamanna]

Se trovi la soluzione, condividila! 😊

[andrealamanna]

Sarebbe bello creare uno spazio condiviso con i vari script aiutando gli amministratori nei vari compiti. Cosa ne pensate?

[icrew]

To me, that’s exactly the GAM Wiki (https://github.com/GAM-team/GAM/wiki/), GAM mailing list archives (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/google-apps-manager), and GAM Scripts repository (https://github.com/taers232c/GAM-Scripts3) is today. Perhaps it would be best to contribute to improving those existing resources instead of building something new?

[Kim_Nilsson]

100%

There is no reason for creating a separate forum, when the existing forums are so well supported.