Synchronize Spaces from Microsoft Teams (v 1.1)

General considerations

If the Space Navigator app is installed the list "Space Masterdata" is available in the corresponding site collection. For a start this list contains an example space.

Image 1: Space Masterdata list with example space

For each space a list item could be added manually to the SharePoint list via the "New" button in the top right area (without using the synchronization process). For more information see introduction of Configure Spaces (v 1.1).

Automatic synchronization

For initially filling the list however, an automatic synchronization with Microsoft Teams is recommended. In the course of time the synchronization can also be used to add changes to the existing spaces or to add new spaces from Microsoft Teams. But this only works for spaces initially added via synchronization process.

Navigate to the "Space Masterdata" list to synchronize the list automatically with Microsoft Teams ("Sync from Teams").

Before synchronizing

Configure the values for Space Type and set a default value that is mostly used for Spaces. Click on the "Space Type" column header, hover over "Column settings" and click on "Edit".

Image 2: Configuring values for space types (click to enlarge)

A pane will be opened on the right side. Enter the desired space types under "Choices". Select a default value.

Image 3: Configuring values for Space Types (click to enlarge)

Start synchronizing

The corresponding button "Sync from Teams" is located in the command bar above the list. Click on the button "Sync from Teams". 

Image 4: "Sync from Teams" button (click to enlarge)

A popup will open. The system is now searching for new spaces or changes in existing spaces in the backround. If there are a lot of spaces to search for, the loading process might take a few minutes.

Image 5: Checking for changes in MS Teams (click to enlarge)

After finishing the search, the list of spaces is displayed (or a message, that there are no spaces to sync).

Image 6: Selecting required spaces (click to enlarge)

Select the changed respectively new spaces that shall be synchronized from Microsoft Teams to your "Space Masterdata" list. Start the synchronization by clicking on the button Start Sync.

A popup window is displayed. The required spaces are synchronized now. This may take a few minutes.

Image 7: Synchronization in progress (click to enlarge)

When the synchronization is finished the following message appears:

Image 8: Synchronization finished (click to enlarge)

Yo can close the popup window. Your changes are now visible in the "Space Masterdata" list. In case they are not visible please reload the page.

Image 9: Space Masterdata list after synchronization (click to enlarge)

Error messages

In case errors occured while synchronizing spaces you will be informed about the count of not successfully synchronized spaces (see red highlighting). Click on "Show error messages" to get more information about your error messages.

Image 10: Error messages (click to enlarge)

You can see all error messages in detail. Additionally (in brackets) the count of spaces for which a specific error occurred is displayed.

Image 11: Detailed error messages (click to enlarge)

After synchronizing

The synchronization process will fill in many metadata per space. But some data can not be read from Teams. The following data have to be edited manually after synchronization:

• Keywords
• Department
• Location
• Visibility
• Contact Person (only if there was more than one contact person stated in Microsoft Teams)
• JIRA URL
• Confluence URL

To edit a list item, double click on it or click on the three dots and then on "Edit".

Image 12: Open the edit pane for a space list item (click to enlarge)

In the opened pane on the right side you can fill in the values in the corresponding input fields. Here you can also change the synchronized data.

Image 13: Edit a synchronized space (click to enlarge)

For more information on configuring spaces see Configure Spaces (v 1.1).

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