Retrieve information from AD

By Anatoly Mironov

November 9, 2010

Here is a a link you can start with. To test AD, install AD. Then we canplay with it. Take a look those examples, too.

PrincipalSearcher vs. DirectorySearcher

What is the difference?

OU

Here are two examples (one for PrincipalSearcher and the other for DirectorySearcher) to retrieve users from an OU:

//PrincipalSearcher
internal static void ListPrincipalsFromOu()
{
	using(var ctx = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, "takana.local", "OU=SOME\_OU ,DC=takana, DC=local"))
	{
		using (var up = new UserPrincipal(ctx))
		{
			using (var ps = new PrincipalSearcher(up))
			{
				using (var res = ps.FindAll())
				{
					foreach (var p in res)
					{
						Console.WriteLine(p.SamAccountName);
					}
				}
			}
		}

	}
}
//DirectorySearcher
internal static void ListAdEntriesFromOu()
{
	const string property = "sAMAccountName";
	var ldapcon = new DirectoryEntry("takana.local") {
		Path = "LDAP://OU=SOME\_OU,DC=takana,DC=local"
	};
	var search = new DirectorySearcher(ldapcon);
	search.PropertiesToLoad.Add(property);

	using (var results = search.FindAll())
	{
		foreach (System.DirectoryServices.SearchResult result in results)
		{
			using (var entry = result.GetDirectoryEntry())
			{
				if (entry.Properties\[property\].Count > 0)
				{
					Console.WriteLine(entry.Properties\[property\]\[0\]);
				}
			}
		}
	}
}