LDAP Group Members using ldapsearch and Java

Using ldapsearch with LDAP Group Members.

Ldapsearch has become a handy tool for us. Here is how we use it. In Meister, we support LDAP. Many of our customers are striving to protect a single sign-on, so LDAP becomes critical to achieving their goals. We’ve done quite a bit of work around LDAP coding. The use of ldapsearch has become a popular part of our coding. I thought it would be helpful to expose has we have used it for our applications.

We use the LDAP server provided by Forum Systems Online LDAP Test Server.

Here is the ldapsearch command line:

ldapsearch -W -h ldap.forumsys.com -D "cn=read-only-admin,dc=example,dc=com" -b "dc=example,dc=com" "ou=mathematicians"

-W : Prompt for password
-h : ldap server to use
-D : is the binddn (userid to login to the ldap server with)
-b : is the base search root
and the last parameter is the search filter

Results from the ldapsearch:

Enter LDAP Password: 
# extended LDIF
#
# LDAPv3
# base <dc=example,dc=com> with scope subtree
# filter: ou=mathematicians
# requesting: ALL
#

# mathematicians, example.com
dn: ou=mathematicians,dc=example,dc=com
uniqueMember: uid=euclid,dc=example,dc=com
uniqueMember: uid=riemann,dc=example,dc=com
uniqueMember: uid=euler,dc=example,dc=com
uniqueMember: uid=gauss,dc=example,dc=com
uniqueMember: uid=test,dc=example,dc=com
ou: mathematicians
cn: Mathematicians
objectClass: groupOfUniqueNames
objectClass: top

# search result
search: 2
result: 0 Success

# numResponses: 2
# numEntries: 1

Here is the same ldap query using Java:

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Hashtable;
import java.util.Vector;

import javax.naming.Context;
import javax.naming.NameNotFoundException;
import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;
import javax.naming.NamingException;
import javax.naming.directory.Attribute;
import javax.naming.directory.Attributes;
import javax.naming.directory.SearchControls;
import javax.naming.directory.SearchResult;
import javax.naming.ldap.InitialLdapContext;
import javax.naming.ldap.LdapContext;

public class memberof
{
 public static void main(String[] args)
 {
  ArrayList members = new ArrayList();

  String ldapUsername = "cn=read-only-admin,dc=example,dc=com";
  String ldapPassword = "password";
  String servername = "ldap://ldap.forumsys.com:389";
  String searchbase = "dc=example,dc=com";
  String searchfilter = "ou=mathematicians";

  Hashtable<String, Object> env = new Hashtable<String, Object>();
  env.put(Context.SECURITY_AUTHENTICATION, "simple");
  env.put(Context.SECURITY_PRINCIPAL, ldapUsername);
  env.put(Context.SECURITY_CREDENTIALS, ldapPassword);
  env.put(Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY, "com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory");
  env.put(Context.PROVIDER_URL, servername);

  // the following is helpful in debugging errors
  // env.put("com.sun.jndi.ldap.trace.ber", System.err);

  LdapContext ctx;
  try
  {
   ctx = new InitialLdapContext(env, null);

   NamingEnumeration results = null;
   try
   {
    SearchControls controls = new SearchControls();
    controls.setSearchScope(SearchControls.SUBTREE_SCOPE);
    results = ctx.search(searchbase, searchfilter, controls);

    while (results.hasMore())
    {
     SearchResult searchResult = (SearchResult) results.next();
     Attributes attributes = searchResult.getAttributes();
     Attribute attr = attributes.get("uniqueMember");
     
     for (int i=0;i<attr.size();i++)
     {
      members.add((String) attr.get(i));
     }
    }
   }
   catch (NameNotFoundException e)
   {
    // The base context was not found.
    // Just clean up and exit.
   }
   catch (NamingException e)
   {
    throw new RuntimeException(e);
   }
   finally
   {
    if (results != null)
    {
     try
     {
      results.close();
     }
     catch (Exception e)
     {
      // Never mind this.
     }
    }
    if (ctx != null)
    {
     try
     {
      ctx.close();
     }
     catch (Exception e)
     {
      // Never mind this.
     }
    }
   }

   // Loop through the memebers of the and print them out
   for (int i = 0; i < members.size(); i++)
   {
    System.out.println(members.get(i));
   }
  }
  catch (NamingException e1)
  {
   // TODO Auto-generated catch block
   e1.printStackTrace();
  }
 }
}

Results from the Java program:

uid=euclid,dc=example,dc=com
uid=riemann,dc=example,dc=com
uid=euler,dc=example,dc=com
uid=gauss,dc=example,dc=com
uid=test,dc=example,dc=com