C# - Look up a users manager in active directory

Question

Started using the System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement namespace, to perform the lookup on a user in active directory (AD). I also need the user\'

Answer 1

If you're on .NET 3.5 and up and using the System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement (S.DS.AM) namespace, you can easily extend the existing UserPrincipal class to get at more advanced properties, like Manager etc.

Read all about it here:

• Managing Directory Security Principals in the .NET Framework 3.5
• MSDN docs on System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement

Basically, you just define a derived class based on UserPrincipal, and then you define your additional properties you want:

[DirectoryRdnPrefix("CN")]
[DirectoryObjectClass("Person")]
public class UserPrincipalEx : UserPrincipal
{
    // Inplement the constructor using the base class constructor. 
    public UserPrincipalEx(PrincipalContext context) : base(context)
    { }

    // Implement the constructor with initialization parameters.    
    public UserPrincipalEx(PrincipalContext context,
                         string samAccountName,
                         string password,
                         bool enabled) : base(context, samAccountName, password, enabled)
    {} 

    // Create the "Department" property.    
    [DirectoryProperty("department")]
    public string Department
    {
        get
        {
            if (ExtensionGet("department").Length != 1)
                return string.Empty;

            return (string)ExtensionGet("department")[0];
        }
        set { ExtensionSet("department", value); }
    }

    // Create the "Manager" property.    
    [DirectoryProperty("manager")]
    public string Manager
    {
        get
        {
            if (ExtensionGet("manager").Length != 1)
                return string.Empty;

            return (string)ExtensionGet("manager")[0];
        }
        set { ExtensionSet("manager", value); }
    }

    // Implement the overloaded search method FindByIdentity.
    public static new UserPrincipalEx FindByIdentity(PrincipalContext context, string identityValue)
    {
        return (UserPrincipalEx)FindByIdentityWithType(context, typeof(UserPrincipalEx), identityValue);
    }

    // Implement the overloaded search method FindByIdentity. 
    public static new UserPrincipalEx FindByIdentity(PrincipalContext context, IdentityType identityType, string identityValue)
    {
        return (UserPrincipalEx)FindByIdentityWithType(context, typeof(UserPrincipalEx), identityType, identityValue);
    }
}

Now, you can use the "extended" version of the UserPrincipalEx in your code:

using (PrincipalContext ctx = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain))
{
    // Search the directory for the new object. 
    UserPrincipalEx inetPerson = UserPrincipalEx.FindByIdentity(ctx, IdentityType.SamAccountName, "someuser");

    // you can easily access the Manager or Department now
    string department = inetPerson.Department;
    string manager = inetPerson.Manager;
}