Get users email addresses from Active Directory group

Question

Hey, I need some simple test program which will allow me to set AD group name(e.g. testdomain.groupname) and based on this group name it retrieves me all the users(with subgroups as well) email addresses.

Any code snippet will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Answer 1

If you're on .NET 3.5 (or you can upgrade to it), you can use the new System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement namespace to make this quite easy.

Read more on that new .NET 3.5 gem here: Managing Directory Security Principals in the .NET Framework 3.5

// create a context - you need to supply your 
// domain NetBIOS-style, e.g. "CONTOSO"
PrincipalContext ctx = new PrincipalContext(ContextType.Domain, "YOURDOMAIN");

// find the group you're interested in
GroupPrincipal gp = GroupPrincipal.FindByIdentity(ctx, "YourGroupName");

// enumerate the members of that group
// the "true" in GetMembers() means: enumerate recursively, e.g.
// if another group is found as member, its members are enumerated
PrincipalSearchResult<Principal> members = gp.GetMembers(true);

// iterate over the principals found
foreach(Principal p in members)
{
    // test to see if it's a UserPrincipal
    UserPrincipal up = (p as UserPrincipal);

    if (up != null)
    {
         // if it is - set the new e-mail address
         up.EmailAddress = "[email protected]";
         up.Save();
    }
}