Updating Attributes in Non-Microsoft LDAP Directories in .Net and PowerShell

In this series on working with non-Microsoft directories in PowerShell and .Net

• Searching
• Adding Entries
• Moving and Renaming Entries
• Updating Attributes
• Deleting Entries

 A previous post of mine that covered LDAP searches in non-Microsoft Active Directory LDAP directories (ex. OpenLDAP, Oracle Internet Directory, Novell eDirectory, etc.) gained a fair amount of popularity and I received requests to follow up on it to provide instructions on performing other LDAP functions using the .Net Framework and PowerShell.

Continuing from my last post, I went ahead and set up an OpenLDAP server for demonstration purposes utilizing the core, cosine, and inetorgperson schemas. I have prepopulated it with the following objects:

dn: dc=mikesblog,dc=lan
objectclass: dcObject
objectclass: organization
o: Mikes Technology Blog
dc: mikesblog

dn: cn=Manager,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan
objectclass: organizationalRole
cn: Manager

dn: ou=testou1,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan
objectclass: organizationalUnit
objectclass: top
ou: testou1
description: My first test OU

dn: cn=mike,ou=testou1,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan
objectClass: person
objectclass: inetorgperson
givenName: Mike
sn: Burr
uid: mike

dn: ou=testou2,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan
objectclass: organizationalUnit
objectclass: top
ou: testou2
description: My second test OU

In this example, we will modify the testuser user in testou1 to be contained in a new container (ou=testou2,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan). Optionally, we can also rename the user (I show the field below, but don't actually rename the user). 

To accomplish this, we will use the .Net framework classes in the System.DirectoryServices.Protocols namespace.  The LdapConnection class gives our application connectivity to the LDAP server where we can provide an ModifyRequest object and receive an ModifyReply. In the ModifyRequest, we specify via the Modifications property what attribute additions, modifcations, and deletions need to occur.

The sample code below is designed to demonstrate how to modify attributes for an LDAP entry, in practice this might be designed to use the command pattern, content enricher pattern, and decorator pattern instead of the hardcoded transaction script below.

Let's get to it... The sample C#.Net code:

---

// Connects to myopenldap.mikesblog.lan

// on the standard port

LdapConnection c = new LdapConnection("myopenldap.mikesblog.lan:389");

//Set session options

c.SessionOptions.SecureSocketLayer = false;

c.SessionOptions.ProtocolVersion = 3;

// Pick Authentication type:

// Anonymous, Basic, Digest, DPA (Distributed Password Authentication),

// External, Kerberos, Msn, Negotiate, Ntlm, Sicily

c.AuthType = AuthType.Basic;

// Gets username and password. There are better

// ways to do this more securely...

// but that's not the topic of this post.

Console.Write("Enter Username: ");

string username = Console.ReadLine();

Console.WriteLine();

Console.Write("Enter Password: ");

string password = Console.ReadLine();

// Bind with the network credentials. Depending on the type of server,

// the username will take different forms. Authentication type is controlled

// above with the AuthType

c.Bind(new System.Net.NetworkCredential(username, password));

// We are going to modify this object (LDIF Below)

/*

dn: cn=testuser,ou=testou2,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan

objectclass: person

objectclass: inetorgperson

givenName: Test

sn: User

uid: testuser

*/

ModifyRequest r = new ModifyRequest();

//What are we changing?

r.DistinguishedName = "cn=testuser,ou=testou2,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan";

//First part of the request, delete the UID attribute for testuser

r.Modifications.Add(

    new DirectoryAttributeModification() {

        Name = "uid",

        Operation = DirectoryAttributeOperation.Delete

    }

);

//Second part of the request, add the UID attribute for testuser

DirectoryAttributeModification a = new DirectoryAttributeModification();

a.Name = "uid";

a.Operation = DirectoryAttributeOperation.Add;

//add values of the attribute

a.Add("testuseroops");

r.Modifications.Add(a);

//Third part of the request, replace the UID attribute for testuser

DirectoryAttributeModification m = new DirectoryAttributeModification();

m.Name = "uid";

m.Operation = DirectoryAttributeOperation.Replace;

//add value(s) of the attribute

m.Add("testuser");

r.Modifications.Add(m);

//Actually process the request through the server

ModifyResponse re = (ModifyResponse)c.SendRequest(r);

if (re.ResultCode != ResultCode.Success)

{

    Console.WriteLine("Failed!");

    Console.WriteLine("ResultCode: {0}", re.ResultCode);

    Console.WriteLine("Message: {0}", re.ErrorMessage);

}

Console.Read();

---

Not to disappoint, below is the PowerShell port of the above code.

---

#Mike Burr

#Script Connects to and Modifies Objects in OpenLDAP directory

#Load the assemblies

[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.DirectoryServices.Protocols")

[System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("System.Net")

#Connects to myopenldap.mikesblog.lan on the standard port

$c = New-Object System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.LdapConnection `
     "myopenldap.mikesblog.lan:389"

          

#Set session options

$c.SessionOptions.SecureSocketLayer = $false;

$c.SessionOptions.ProtocolVersion = 3

# Pick Authentication type:

# Anonymous, Basic, Digest, DPA (Distributed Password Authentication),

# External, Kerberos, Msn, Negotiate, Ntlm, Sicily

$c.AuthType = [System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.AuthType]::Basic

# Gets username and password.

$user = Read-Host -Prompt "Username"

$pass = Read-Host -AsSecureString "Password"

$credentials = new-object "System.Net.NetworkCredential" -ArgumentList $user,$pass

# Bind with the network credentials. Depending on the type of server,

# the username will take different forms. Authentication type is controlled

# above with the AuthType

$c.Bind($credentials);

# We are going to modify this object (LDIF Below)

#

# dn: cn=testuser,ou=testou2,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan

# objectclass: person

# objectclass: inetorgperson

# givenName: Test

# sn: User

# uid: testuser

$r = (new-object "System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.ModifyRequest")

$r.DistinguishedName = "cn=testuser,ou=testou2,dc=mikesblog,dc=lan";

#First part of the request, delete the UID attribute for testuser

$d = New-Object "System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.DirectoryAttributeModification"

$d.Name = "uid"

$d.Operation = [System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.DirectoryAttributeOperation]::Delete

$r.Modifications.Add($d)

#Second part of the request, add the UID attribute for testuser

$a = New-Object "System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.DirectoryAttributeModification"

$a.Name = "uid"

$a.Operation = [System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.DirectoryAttributeOperation]::Add

#add values of the attribute

$a.Add("testuseroops")

$r.Modifications.Add($a)

#Third part of the request, replace the UID attribute for testuser

$m = New-Object "System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.DirectoryAttributeModification"

$m.Name = "uid"

$m.Operation = [System.DirectoryServices.Protocols.DirectoryAttributeOperation]::Replace

#add value(s) of the attribute

$m.Add("testuser")

$r.Modifications.Add($m) 

#Actually process the request through the server

$re = $c.SendRequest($r);

if ($re.ResultCode -ne [System.directoryServices.Protocols.ResultCode]::Success)

{

    write-host "Failed!"

    write-host ("ResultCode: " + $re.ResultCode)

    write-host ("Message: " + $re.ErrorMessage)

}

---