Streamlining Helpdesk Operations with Graph PowerShell

Managing IT helpdesk tasks can be time-consuming, especially when handling repetitive tasks like password resets, unlocking user accounts, or updating user information. Fortunately, Microsoft Graph PowerShell offers a way to automate many of these daily operations, helping your IT team focus on more complex issues. In this guide, we'll explore how to streamline helpdesk operations using Graph PowerShell, including automating password resets, bulk updates of user attributes, and managing common IT requests like setting up shared resources.

Why Automate the Onboarding Process?

Automating helpdesk tasks can drastically reduce the time spent on routine activities, improve response times, and ensure consistency in handling user requests. Whether it's automating password resets, updating user attributes like phone numbers and departments, or handling shared resource setups, automating these tasks frees up valuable IT resources. PowerShell, combined with the Microsoft Graph API, enables administrators to carry out bulk operations, reducing human errors and increasing efficiency.

Automating Password Resets and Unlocking Accounts

Option 1: Using the Admin Center

Before you can start onboarding users, ensure you have the necessary permissions and tools:

1. Login to Microsoft 365 Admin Center Go to admin.microsoft.com and log in using your credentials.
2. Navigate to 'Active Users' From the left-hand panel, go to Users > Active Users.

3. Reset a User's Password Select the user whose password you want to reset, then click Reset password. Microsoft 365 will generate a temporary password for the user.

4. Unlock a User Account If the account is locked, select the user, and choose Unblock sign-in from the settings.

Option 2: Using Graph PowerShell

Graph PowerShell provides an easy way to automate password resets and unlocks for multiple users at once.

Reset a User’s Password:

    $password = @{
        Password = “”
        ForceChangePasswordNextSignIn= $false
    }
    Update-MgUser -UserId <UserId Or UPN> -PasswordProfile $password

Unlock a User Account:

    Update-MgUser -UserId $User.Id -AccountEnabled

These scripts allow you to quickly reset passwords and unlock user accounts without having to access the admin portal for each individual user.

Bulk Updating User Attributes

Option 1: Using Admin Center

For admins managing multiple users, PowerShell is an efficient way to automate onboarding. Here's how you can do it.

1. Navigate to 'Active Users': Go to Users > Active Users.

2. Bulk Edit User Information: Select multiple users, click Manage Contact Information, and you can update their department, phone number, or other attributes.

Option 2: Using Graph PowerShell

For larger organizations, bulk updates are best handled with Graph PowerShell. This script allows you to update user attributes like phone numbers and departments for multiple users:

# Connect to Microsoft Graph
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "User.ReadWrite.All"

# Path to the CSV file
$csvPath = "C:\Path\To\Your\CSV\users.csv"

# Import the CSV file
$users = Import-Csv -Path $csvPath

# Loop through each user and update attributes
foreach ($user in $users) {
    try {
        # Prepare the update payload
        $updateParams = @{
            DisplayName = $user.DisplayName
            JobTitle    = $user.JobTitle
            Department  = $user.Department
            MobilePhone = $user.MobilePhone
        }

        # Update the user attributes
        Update-MgUser -UserId $user.UserPrincipalName -BodyParameter $updateParams

        Write-Host "Successfully updated user: $($user.UserPrincipalName)"
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Failed to update user: $($user.UserPrincipalName). Error: $_"
    }
}

# Disconnect from Microsoft Graph
Disconnect-MgGraph

Handling Common IT Requests

Automating Shared Resources Setup:

Helpdesk teams often handle requests for setting up shared mailboxes, rooms, and other resources. These tasks can also be automated using Graph PowerShell.

Create a Shared Mailbox:

    New-MgUser -DisplayName "HR Shared Mailbox" -MailNickname "hrshared" -UserPrincipalName "hrshared@contoso.com" -PasswordProfile @{password="SecurePass@2024"; forceChangePasswordNextSignIn=$false} -AccountEnabled $true

Configure Shared Resources (e.g., Rooms):

    New-MgPlace -DisplayName "Conference Room A" -Type "Room"

These scripts allow IT to quickly create shared resources, reducing the manual steps involved.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

• Error: User Not Found
• Cause: Incorrect UserPrincipalName or the user does not exist.
• Solution: Verify the user's UPN or use Get-MgUser to ensure the user exists before running commands.
• Error: Insufficient Permissions
• Cause: The account running the PowerShell script does not have the required permissions.
• Solution: Ensure that you have the necessary roles (e.g., User Administrator or Global Administrator).

Conclusion

By streamlining common helpdesk operations using Graph PowerShell, you can save significant time and effort, allowing your IT team to focus on more complex tasks. Whether you’re automating password resets, bulk updating user attributes, or handling requests like shared resources, Graph PowerShell provides the tools necessary to improve the efficiency of your IT operations.

FAQs

• Can I reset multiple passwords at once?
• Yes, using Graph PowerShell, you can reset passwords for multiple users in a single operation.
• Is it possible to automate shared mailbox creation for specific departments?
• Yes, you can modify the New-MgUser script to create shared mailboxes based on department-specific rules.

Additional Resources

• Microsoft 365 Admin Center
• Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK Documentation