Manage User Service synchronization in Perform & Engage 365

Introduction

The User Service synchronizes users with Perform & Engage 365 as part of the shared Zensai platform, making those users available in Perform & Engage 365 for licensing and activation.

For new shared-license installations, User Service synchronization replaces the previous Perform & Engage Entra ID synchronization experience. The shared User Service provides a common user-management foundation across Zensai products, helping ensure that user information is managed consistently across the platform.

It helps admins keep user information, person properties, and organizational relationships up to date while reducing the need to maintain user records manually.

Using a shared User Service also enables Zensai to identify users across products, supporting experiences that use information from more than one Zensai product.

This article explains how User Service synchronization works, how to control which users are synchronized, how to map user attributes to person properties, and how to run a manual synchronization.

How User Service synchronization works

The User Service synchronizes user information with Perform & Engage 365 on a scheduled basis.

During synchronization:

Users who have been added or modified since the previous successful synchronization are identified.
New users are added to Perform & Engage 365.
Existing user records are updated when synchronized information changes.
Manager and reporting-line relationships are updated.
Mapped user attributes are added to the relevant person properties.

The User Service uses information about the previous successful synchronization to identify new and changed records.

Users synchronized through the User Service are added to Perform & Engage 365 in a disabled state by default. They can be seen in the user-management areas of Perform & Engage 365 without consuming a license until they're enabled.

User Service synchronization runs automatically every hour. Admins can also start a synchronization at any time using Sync now. A synchronization is also started automatically when an organization is first configured or migrated to User Service.

Where User Service is configured

User Service is the shared user database used across the Zensai platform. For organizations using User Service, the core user configuration is managed automatically.

Within Perform & Engage 365, admins can configure:

Person-property mappings.
Entra-group filtering for synchronization scope.

Control which users are synchronized

User Service synchronization can be filtered using Microsoft Entra group IDs, enabling admins to control which users are synchronized with Perform & Engage 365.

Admins can manage the relevant Entra group object IDs using Manage Entra groups.

The configured synchronization scope determines which users become available in Perform & Engage 365 for licensing and activation.

NOTE

Synchronizing users doesn't enable them or cause them to consume a license by default. For more information, see Activate synchronized users.

If no Entra groups are configured, all eligible users are synchronized.

If one or more Entra groups are configured, synchronization is limited to users who belong to those groups. Users who aren't members of the configured groups aren't synchronized.

Map user attributes to person properties

User Service field mapping enables organizations to synchronize directory attributes with person-related information in Perform & Engage 365.

Field mapping connects user attributes from the User Service with person properties in Perform & Engage 365. During synchronization, mapped values are added to the corresponding person properties.

Examples may include department, job title, office location, manager information, and other organizational attributes.

Before mapping user attributes, ensure the required person properties exist in Perform & Engage 365. For information about creating and managing person properties, see this article.

Configure field mappings

1. Select the cog icon > Integrations > User Service tab.

2. Select Fields mapping. The User Service Integration – Person Property Mapping page opens.

Here, admins can map User Service attributes to person properties in Perform & Engage 365.

The Update performance review reviewers when a manager changes checkbox is selected by default.

When this option is enabled:

Only in-progress performance reviews are affected.
Only reviewer assignments based on the employee's manager are updated.
Reviewer assignments based on department heads or person properties aren't changed.
The reviewer is updated to the employee's new manager. If the employee no longer has a manager, the reviewer assignment is cleared.
Organizations may choose to disable this option when reviewer assignments should remain fixed, for example during a reorganization.

3. In the Person Property column, select the person property you want to map to each user attribute.

The checkbox for the corresponding user attribute is selected automatically when you select a person property.

4. To create or manage additional person properties, select Configure person properties near the top of the page.

5. Select Save mappings at the bottom of the page.

After saving your field mappings, you can wait for the next scheduled synchronization or synchronize users manually. Running a manual synchronization can help you verify new mappings, imported values, and user updates without waiting for the next scheduled synchronization.

Changing or removing a field mapping doesn't change values that were previously synchronized.

Existing synchronized values are retained. Updated mappings affect only users whose information changes during future synchronizations. Users who haven't changed since the previous synchronization aren't updated automatically.

Synchronize users manually

In addition to scheduled synchronization, admins can manually start a synchronization when immediate updates are required.

A manual synchronization can be useful when:

Testing a new User Service configuration.
Verifying recently added users.
Confirming updates to organizational data.
Checking changes to user attribute mappings.
Troubleshooting synchronization issues.

If you recently changed field mappings, consider verifying the configuration before running a manual synchronization.

To start a manual synchronization:

1. Select the cog icon > Integrations > User Service tab.

2. Select Sync now.

Sync now synchronizes users in the admin's organization and runs in the background.

The type of synchronization depends on whether the organization has previously completed a synchronization:

Previous synchronization completed: Sync now performs an incremental synchronization and processes users added or modified since the previous synchronization.
No previous synchronization completed: Sync now performs a full synchronization.

A synchronization that completed with individual user errors still counts as a completed synchronization.

After synchronization starts, admins receive confirmation that the synchronization was triggered. The most recent synchronization result is recorded, although progress information isn't currently shown.

Activate synchronized users

Users synchronized into Perform & Engage 365 through the User Service are added in a disabled state by default. They can be seen in the user-management areas of Perform & Engage 365 but don't consume a license until they're enabled.

Admins can go to the cog icon > Organization Settings > License Seats tab to enable users who should have access to Perform & Engage 365. Users can be enabled individually or in bulk, subject to the organization's available license seats.

NOTE

Enabling User Service synchronization may result in users becoming visible in Perform & Engage 365 who weren't previously present there. These synchronized users are disabled by default and don't consume a license until they're enabled.

Automatically enable synchronized users

Organizations using User Service can enable Enable new users by default on the License Seats page.

When enabled, newly created synchronized users, including users created when they first sign in, are automatically enabled and consume a license seat.

This setting doesn't change the status of existing users.

By default, the setting is disabled.

Manager and reporting-line changes

The User Service synchronizes manager and reporting-line relationships.

When an employee's manager changes in the source data, the updated relationship is synchronized with Perform & Engage 365.

If the Update performance review reviewers when a manager changes checkbox is selected in the field-mapping configuration, manager-based reviewer assignments in performance reviews are also updated when the synchronized manager changes.

The manager relationship is based on the manager recorded for the user in the User Service. If the manager is removed from the source data, the employee's manager is cleared in Perform & Engage 365. If the manager is outside the synchronization scope or hasn't yet been synchronized, the employee's existing manager remains unchanged.

User Service and previous Entra ID synchronization

For new shared-license installations, User Service is used for user synchronization instead of the previous Perform & Engage Entra ID synchronization experience.

Existing organizations can be migrated to User Service by Zensai. Migration isn't currently a self-service process.

After migration, admins should review their person-property mappings. Existing custom mappings are retained where possible, but mappings that can't be carried over need to be configured again.

Organization-specific configuration

User Service synchronization is configured at the organization level.

Each organization can have its own synchronization scope, Entra group configuration, person-property mappings, and related User Service settings. These settings are applied when users are synchronized for that organization.

Customer-managed settings include synchronization scope, Entra group configuration, person-property mappings, reviewer-update behavior, and new-user enablement settings.

Some User Service settings, including User Service enablement, tenant connectivity, and synchronization scheduling, are managed by Zensai.

User management and the User Service

User Service synchronization, activation, licensing, and day-to-day user management are related but separate processes.

The User Service makes synchronized users available within Perform & Engage 365. Admins then use the appropriate user-management and License Seats functionality to manage their subsequent access.

The User Service also keeps names and email addresses up to date and uses synchronized information to maintain departments and organizational relationships.

Users who exist in the User Service but haven't yet been created in Perform & Engage 365 can be created when they sign in.