Active Directory User scripting from MIS data without CNs

[NetworkGeezer]

The new DS* commands in Windows 2003 (DSAdd, DSMod etc) are great by they rely on referring to users by common names (CNs). I guess it's because users are just one other AD object type.

My problem is that I like to operate on users wherever OU they are rather than specifying the full CN. For students I can normally derive the username from MIS data but CNs are suceptible to changes in spelling or movements in teaching/tutor groups.

Any ideas? Should I DSQuery to get the CNs then match to the username field and then peform the DSMod with CN?

[ChrisH]

Using ADSI scripting you can pull an object from AD with two methods using the LDAP provider or the WinNT.

With the LDAP you have to specify the full CN eg

GetObject("LDAP://cn=blah,cn=blah")

But with the WinNT you can use a simpler format eg:

Set ObjUser = GetObject("WinNT://yourdomain/username","user")

[NetworkGeezer]

The WinNT provider seems good.
Actually I was hoping to do it with just using shell commands but ADSI may be the way to go.

[Wiseman82]

Two methods to get the DN from the Pre Windows 2000 Logon Name (sAMAccoutName):

http://www.wisesoft.co.uk/Scripts/di...pt.aspx?id=118
http://www.wisesoft.co.uk/Scripts/di...ipt.aspx?id=23

Hope this helps,

David