• Benefits of integrating Freshservice with Active Directory
  • How to integrate Freshservice with Active Directory by scripting
  • Why integrate Active Directory with Freshservice using ADManager Plus?

When you're managing IT service requests, handling incidents, and keeping operations smooth, the last thing you need is extra work. But if your Freshservice platform isn’t linked to Active Directory, you're still manually creating accounts, updating roles, and deleting users. It’s time-consuming, error-prone, and can lead to security issues.

An integration between Freshservice and Active Directory solves this. By syncing your user management workflows, everything from onboarding to offboarding becomes more seamless, less stressful, and less vulnerable to mistakes.

In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of this integration, show you how to set it up using native tools, and highlight an easier and more efficient way to integrate, using ManageEngine ADManager Plus.

Benefits of integrating Freshservice with Active Directory

User management, system performance, security, and compliance are some of the advantages achieved by integrating Freshservice with Active Directory.

Seamless user synchronization

Integrating Active Directory with Freshservice ensures that any changes made in Active Directory, whether it's onboarding a new employee , updating role changes, or offboarding employees, are instantly reflected in Freshservice. This eliminates manual data entry, reduces errors, and ensures that user information is always up to date.

Simplified access control

Active Directory integration streamlines access management by automatically assigning the correct permissions to users in Freshservice based on their Active Directory roles. When employees change roles or departments, their access rights are updated automatically, ensuring they only have access to the resources they need.

Efficient onboarding and offboarding

Onboarding new employees becomes a faster, more secure process. As soon as an employee is added to Active Directory, their Freshservice account is automatically created. When they leave, their access is promptly removed, ensuring that no one has access to company data after they’ve departed.

Centralized user management

By integrating Freshservice with Active Directory, help desk technicians can perform critical Active Directory tasks, such as creating, disabling, or unlocking user accounts, directly from their Freshservice console. This centralization reduces context-switching and improves efficiency for IT teams.

Strengthened security and compliance

By syncing user data and access permissions across both systems, Active Directory integration ensures that security policies are consistently enforced. This makes it easier to maintain compliance with internal policies and external regulations, while also reducing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information.

How to integrate Freshservice with Active Directory by scripting

One way to integrate Active Directory with Freshservice is by using PowerShell scripts. The process generally involves:

  1. Extracting user data from Active Directory (names, emails, departments, etc.).
  2. Formatting it into JSON for Freshservice.
  3. Sending the data via Freshservice’s API to create or update users.
  4. Automating the process through scheduled syncs.

At first, running a script might seem like a practical, cost-effective solution. But as organizations grow, several limitations become apparent.

  • A simple script can break due to network issues, API rate limits, or even minor Active Directory field changes. Troubleshooting these failures takes up valuable IT time.
  • There is no built-in way to log failed updates or alert administrators. IT teams are left manually checking logs and identifying missing users.
  • Handling Active Directory credentials within scripts and transmitting API keys without encryption poses security concerns. Manual approaches often lack proper access controls and logging mechanisms.

Why integrate Active Directory with Freshservice using ADManager Plus?

ADManager Plus is an identity governance solution designed to simplify identity management and access control, ensuring that your employee data remains up to date, secure, and compliant. It also takes the stress out of managing Active Directory integrations, making IT workflows faster and more reliable, with the following benefits:

  • Real-time sync: Keep user data accurate and up-to-date with automated synchronization between Active Directory and Freshservice.
  • Quick access updates: Automate role and permission changes to keep everything accurate without manual intervention.
  • Faster onboarding and offboarding: New hires receive access on day one, and exits are handled securely with automated provisioning and deprovisioning.
  • No scripts needed: Skip PowerShell. ADManager Plus provides easy-to-use prebuilt tools for integration.
  • Effortless reporting: Generate clear, audit-ready reports without juggling multiple tools or wasting time.

Ready to simplify your Active Directory management? Try ADManager Plus today or explore more integrations to further streamline your IT workflows.