KB489329: Using Contact Groups instead of Distribution Lists for Subscriptions created with Command Manager Scripts

Introduction:

Managing subscriptions effectively is critical when multiple recipients need to receive the same set of reports or dashboards. While Command Manager lacks support for Distribution Lists due to its legacy status, customers can leverage Contact Groups to accomplish the same functionality.

Contact Groups act as a modern alternative to Distribution Lists and are useful in scenarios where many users need access to subscribed content. By grouping contacts together, customers can avoid subscribing each individual contact separately, simplifying subscription management.

For functionality, Contact Groups must be linked to a Strategy user. This association provides the system with the credentials and security profile needed to process and deliver subscribed content. When a Contact Group is used in a subscription, the system executes the reports or dashboards using the linked user’s credentials and security profile.

Using Command Manager scripts, customers can further automate subscription workflows by adding Contact Groups to subscriptions programmatically, creating a scalable solution for enterprise environments.

Action:

How to Create a Contact Group in Strategy Workstation:

1. Open Strategy Workstation and ensure the navigation pane is in smart mode.
2. Go to Users and Groups in the navigation pane and select the desired environment from the upper-left drop-down menu.
3. Click on the "+" next to Contact Groups to create a new Contact Group.
4. Configure the Contact Group by:
   
1. Providing general information (e.g., name, description).
2. Adding group members by selecting the contacts to be included.
5. Click Create to save and finalize the Contact Group setup.

Using Command Manager to Add Contact Groups to Subscriptions:

Once a Contact Group has been created, Command Manager can be used to automate the addition of multiple Contact Groups to subscriptions. Use the following script as a template:

ADD CONTACTGROUP "Contact Group 1","Contact Group 2","Contact Group 3" TO SUBSCRIPTION "Subscription Name" FOR PROJECT "Your Project Name";

This script allows you to efficiently associate multiple Contact Groups with a subscription in just one script, eliminating the need to manually configure each group or contact individually. To use this script, follow these steps:

1. Replace "Contact Group 1", "Contact Group 2", "Contact Group 3" with the actual names of the Contact Groups you wish to add. You can list as many Contact Groups as needed, separated by commas.
2. Replace "Subscription Name" with the exact name of the subscription you want to modify.
3. Replace "Your Project Name" with the name of the project that contains the subscription.

After filling in the placeholders, execute the script in Command Manager. This will automatically associate the specified Contact Groups with the subscription, ensuring all members of the groups receive the subscribed content.

This method is especially beneficial for managing large-scale subscriptions, saving time and effort while ensuring consistency and accuracy in your subscription configuration.