TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Overview
• Benefits of Blueprints
• Accessing Blueprints
  • Blueprint Layout
  • Using the Context Menu
  • Working with Blueprints
• Examples
  • Creating a Blueprint Structure
  • Adding an Item to a Blueprint
• Advanced Blueprint Topics
• Further Support

Overview

Blueprints in ManagementStudio allow project administrators to organise and structure related items within a project. Blueprints can contain items including Users, Applications, Devices, Mailboxes, Bespoke Items, and Deployment Units. Unlike traditional folder structures, a single item can belong to multiple Blueprints simultaneously. For example, an application can be assigned to several Blueprints, such as Finance, Marketing, London, and Problem Apps Blueprints.

Benefits of Blueprints

• Enable flexible organisation of large portfolios (e.g., applications, users, devices) into logical structures.
• Provide quick insight by allowing project admins to focus on specific departments or groups, rather than reviewing the entire item list.
• Support hierarchical, tree-like organisation for both high-level and granular analysis.
• Permit extensive customisation—any level of hierarchy and grouping can be created.

Accessing Blueprints

To access Blueprints:

1. Select Administration from the bottom of the left vertical menu.
2. In the Project Settings section, select Blueprints.

Blueprint Layout

The Blueprint interface consists of:

1. Control Bar
   • Reload Blueprints: Refreshes the Blueprint grid.
   • Show Counts: Displays item counts for each Blueprint.
   • Apply Mirror Rules: Apply existing Blueprint Mirror rules. More on Blueprint Mirroring
   • Export (csv): Exports the Blueprint structure as a .csv file.
2. Blueprint Grid
   • Displays all Blueprints defined in the project.
   • Shows module counts when enabled.
   • Remembers expanded folders during the current session.

Using the Context Menu

The Context menu provides additional actions when you left-click a Blueprint in the grid.

Working with Blueprints

The Edit menu (hamburger icon) is available for each grid item and allows the following actions:

Examples

Creating a Blueprint Structure

This example demonstrates creating a Deployment Unit Blueprint based on location and adding users.

1. Go to Administration → Blueprints.
2. Click the Edit (hamburger) icon next to the root folder.
3. Select New Folder from the context menu.
   • Note: Only folders, not Blueprints, should be created at the root. Blueprints should only be created inside folders.

4. When prompted, name the new folder Deployment Unit and click OK.

5. Click the Edit icon next to the new Deployment Unit folder.
6. Select New Folder and enter Deployment Unit Location, then click OK.

7. Click the Edit icon next to Deployment Unit Location.
8. Select New 'Folder\Blueprints' from List.

9. Enter North\Luton to create a subfolder called North and a Blueprint called Luton.
10. Click OK to confirm.

Adding an Item to a Blueprint

You can add items (such as users) to Blueprints from within their modules. Before starting, reload the Project to ensure that the Blueprint changes have refreshed.

1. Go to the User Migrations module.
2. Select the users to add to a Blueprint.
3. Right-click selected users and choose Blueprints → Add to....
4. Select the desired Blueprint (e.g., Deployment Unit → Deployment Unit Location → North → Luton).
5. Click Add to confirm.

Advanced Blueprint Topics

For further information, refer to the following articles:

• Blueprints from Active Directory attributes:
  Blueprints via AD Connector
• Blueprint Stacks:
  Blueprint Stacks Overview
• Blueprint Mirroring:
  Blueprint Mirroring Overview

Further Support

For additional guidance, please visit the ManagementStudio Service Desk to search the knowledge base or to raise a new support ticket.