User Profile Sync allows you to automatically synchronize a master user database with another user database. You can map properties from the master user database to the target user database and view whether the update was successful as well as an audit trail of how each item was updated. Use the Windows Scheduler to automate the sync process.
Users added to or deleted from a SharePoint Site Collection Profile, Contacts List, or Active Directory (AD) can be automatically added or deleted in the target List (i.e. SharePoint Site Collection Profile or Contacts List). In addition, users added to a SharePoint Site Collection Profile can be automatically assigned to a SharePoint group.
There are five sync types offered with User Profile Sync:
- Active Directory to a SharePoint Site Collection Profile.
- SharePoint Site Collection Profile to a SharePoint Site Collection Profile.
- Active Directory to a Contacts List.
- A Contacts List to a SharePoint Site Collection Profile.
- MOSS User Profile database to Active Directory (SharePoint 2007 Only).