How to check if a Active Directory server is up and running using .Net?

Question

Before trying to query the AD server I would like to check if it is alive and kicking. Looks like a trivial thing, but I haven´t found anything to elucidate this.

How can I do that?

Answer 1

I just try to get the current domain context associated with the running user:

try {
    var domain = Domain.GetCurrentDomain();
    /* Whatever i need from the domain */
} catch(ActiveDirectoryOperationException ex) {
    MessageBox.Show("Cannot contact AD Server");
}

---

If you want to connect to another domain you can try:

try {
    var domain = Domain.GetDomain(
        new DirectoryContext(DirectoryContextType.Domain, "mydomain.local"));
    /* Whatever i need from the domain */
} catch(ActiveDirectoryOperationException ex) {
    MessageBox.Show("Cannot contact AD Server");
}