ActiveDirectory

[samsmithnz]

Does anybody happen to know how to query ActiveDirectory to find the currently logged on user?

 

I'm having some difficulty...

 

thanks

 

Sam

[samsmithnz]

I'm managed to find some C# code, but I'd like some help converting it to VB.NET.

 

And heres what I have so far in the VB.NET. It compiles but doesn't run! Why not? It gives me the error message "Specified cast is not valid." on the first line (dim p as Windows...etc)

 

This is the VB.NET converted code

Dim p As WindowsPrincipal = Thread.CurrentPrincipal
txtOutput.Text = GetFullName(p.Identity.Name)

 

This is the C# code

WindowsPrincipal p = Thread.CurrentPrincipal as WindowsPrincipal;
txtOutput.Text = GetFullName(p.Identity.Name);

 

And heres the entire VB.NET project (except for the windows generated stuff)

   Private Sub btnCurrentUser_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnCurrentUser.Click
       Dim p As WindowsPrincipal = Thread.CurrentPrincipal
       txtOutput.Text = GetFullName(p.Identity.Name)
       'WindowsPrincipal p = Thread.CurrentPrincipal as WindowsPrincipal;
       'Response.Write(GetFullName(p.Identity.Name));
   End Sub

   Private Function GetFullName(ByVal strLogin As String) As String

       Dim str As String = ""

       'Parse the string to check if domain name is present.
       Dim idx As Integer = strLogin.IndexOf("\\")
       If idx = -1 Then
           idx = strLogin.IndexOf("@")
       End If

       Dim strDomain As String
       Dim strName As String

       If idx <> -1 Then
           strDomain = strLogin.Substring(0, idx)
           strName = strLogin.Substring(idx + 1)
       Else
           strDomain = Environment.MachineName
           strName = strLogin
       End If

       'TODO: Not sure about this conversion
       'DirectoryEntry obDirEntry = null;
       Dim obDirEntry As DirectoryEntry

       Try
           obDirEntry = New DirectoryEntry("WinNT://" + strDomain + "/" + strName)
           Dim coll As System.DirectoryServices.PropertyCollection = obDirEntry.Properties
           Dim obVal As Object = coll("FullName").Value
           str = obVal.ToString()
       Catch ex As Exception
           str = ""
           Trace.Write(ex.Message)
       End Try

       GetFullName = str

   End Function

 

Note that I am also importing these things at the top:

Imports System.DirectoryServices
Imports System.Security.Principal
Imports System.Collections.Specialized
Imports System.Threading

 

Thanks

 

Sam

Edited October 28, 2003 by samsmithnz

[Derek Stone]

Dim p As WindowsPrincipal = DirectCast(Thread.CurrentPrincipal, WindowsPrincipal)

[samsmithnz]

I was trying things long that line too, like CType(), but neither Ctype or DirectCast work. They both return the error message "Specified cast is not valid", as does not using any of those functions at all. I get why its happening, they are different types, but why does it work in c# but not vb.net?

[Derek Stone]

You need to ensure the current application domain is configured to use Windows security.

Dim app As AppDomain = AppDomain.CurrentDomain
app.SetPrincipalPolicy(PrincipalPolicy.WindowsPrincipal)

[samsmithnz]

Thanks that seems to have done the trick!

[dynamic_sysop]

did you try this way also? ....

       Dim strUser As Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity = Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent()
       MessageBox.Show(strUser.Name)

[samsmithnz]

did you try this way also? ....

       Dim strUser As Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity = Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent()
       MessageBox.Show(strUser.Name)

 

What does that do and why do you think I need it?

[dynamic_sysop]

that gives you the currently logged on user:-\ which i understood you were looking for, but i guess you've got it going a different way :)

[samsmithnz]

that gives you the currently logged on user:-\ which i understood you were looking for, but i guess you've got it going a different way :)

 

Oh, right... this looks like a much quicker way though... but I'll still have to query ActiveDirectory, as I have to find the current user, their logon name, Full name and whether or not they belong to a certain admin group...

[samsmithnz]

What does that do and why do you think I need it?

 

This works, except that I'm trying to use it for an ASP.NET page.... so it retrieves the logon name for the server :)

 

Doh!

[dynamic_sysop]

well i'm not sure how asp.net would do it, but if you want a bit more info on Security.Principle.WindowsIdentity , i knocked this up to show an example...

       Dim user As Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity = Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent()
       Dim strInfo As String
       strInfo += user.Name & Environment.NewLine
       strInfo += user.AuthenticationType & Environment.NewLine
       strInfo += user.Token.ToInt32 & Environment.NewLine
       If user.IsAuthenticated Then
           MessageBox.Show(strInfo & " is logged on with an authenticated account")
       ElseIf user.IsGuest Then
           MessageBox.Show(strInfo & " is logged on as a guest")
       ElseIf user.IsAnonymous Then
           MessageBox.Show(strInfo & " is anonymous")
       End If

[samsmithnz]

Hey thanks!

 

I ran it up and it produces something like this:

 

What does it all mean?

 

BDEV\IWAM_CORPDEV1

NTLM

2808 is logged on with an authenticated account

[PlausiblyDamp]

BDEV\IWAM_CORPDEV1 - Domain = BDEV, IWAM_CORPDEV1 - usser account

NTLM - Logged on via NT LanManager authentication.

 

2808 - The token for the logon session.

[dynamic_sysop]

like this ...

 

• username >> IWAM_CORPDEV1 <<
  
• authentication ( NT ) >> NTLM <<
  
• token for network access >> 2808 <<
  

hope it helps a bit :)

 

 

Edit: :eek: beaten to the post :p

[samsmithnz]

Damn, I really need to get this working somehow. I found an ASP example that uses ADODB (not exactly the managed code example I need), I'm going to try and port it to ASP.NET... Edited October 30, 2003 by samsmithnz

[el_chingon]

Is there any reason that the Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent() would not work with windows 98? It appears to work just fine when I debug and run in XP, but running my app on a user's machine with 98, it does not obtain the logged in user's name. Does anyone know of another way to get the logged in user's name in 98?

[samsmithnz]

Still stuck.

 

I found a good example for logging on and finding all the groups the user belongs too, but all I need now is an object that will return the current user (not the server user), that I can use in this ASP.NET to show items that belong to them.

 

Someone must have donw this before...