How to query Ldap to get user's attributes in result and use it in auto fill in JSF2.0 form

Question

Can someone please guide/help me in setting up the LDAP connection with Glassfish v3.1.2 using JNDI . I googled on this topic only to find people setting up and using ldap in Glassfish to authenticate the user. Whereas, I need to fetch user data which is to be displayed on my JSF forms and for auto complete during new entires creation on those forms.

I am bit confused. Is Ldap connection in Glassfish only used for authenticating and setting the realm?

Ok I found something while googling for the ways to query. But my extremely limited knowledge still hindering my progress.

So here is the code I found on http://www.myjeeva.com/2012/05/querying-active-directory-using-java/

Active Directory

/**
 * The MIT License
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2010-2012 www.myjeeva.com
 *
 * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
 * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
 * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
 * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
 * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
 * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
 *
 * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
 * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
 *
 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
 * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
 * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
 * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
 * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
 * THE SOFTWARE. 
 * 
 */
package com.LdapSearchDaoBean;

import java.util.Properties;
import java.util.logging.Logger;

import javax.naming.Context;
import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;
import javax.naming.NamingException;
import javax.naming.directory.DirContext;
import javax.naming.directory.InitialDirContext;
import javax.naming.directory.SearchControls;
import javax.naming.directory.SearchResult;

/**
 * Query Active Directory using Java
 * 
 * @filename ActiveDirectory.java
 * @author <a href="mailto:jeeva@myjeeva.com">Jeevanandam Madanagopal</a>
 * @copyright &copy; 2010-2012 www.myjeeva.com
 */
public class ActiveDirectory {
    // Logger
    private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getLogger(ActiveDirectory.class.getName());

    //required private variables   
    private Properties properties;
    private DirContext dirContext;
    private SearchControls searchCtls;
    private String[] returnAttributes = { "sAMAccountName", "givenName", "cn", "mail" };
    private String domainBase;
    private String baseFilter = "(&((&(objectCategory=Person)(objectClass=User)))";

    /**
     * constructor with parameter for initializing a LDAP context
     * 
     * @param username a {@link java.lang.String} object - username to establish a LDAP connection
     * @param password a {@link java.lang.String} object - password to establish a LDAP connection
     * @param domainController a {@link java.lang.String} object - domain controller name for LDAP connection
     */
    public ActiveDirectory(String username, String password, String domainController) {
        properties = new Properties();        

        properties.put(Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY, "com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory");
        properties.put(Context.PROVIDER_URL, "LDAP://" + domainController);
        properties.put(Context.SECURITY_PRINCIPAL, username + "@" + domainController);
        properties.put(Context.SECURITY_CREDENTIALS, password);

        //initializing active directory LDAP connection
        try {
            dirContext = new InitialDirContext(properties);
        } catch (NamingException e) {
            LOG.severe(e.getMessage());
        }

        //default domain base for search
        domainBase = getDomainBase(domainController);

        //initializing search controls
        searchCtls = new SearchControls();
        searchCtls.setSearchScope(SearchControls.SUBTREE_SCOPE);
        searchCtls.setReturningAttributes(returnAttributes);
    }

    /**
     * search the Active directory by username/email id for given search base
     * 
     * @param searchValue a {@link java.lang.String} object - search value used for AD search for eg. username or email
     * @param searchBy a {@link java.lang.String} object - scope of search by username or by email id
     * @param searchBase a {@link java.lang.String} object - search base value for scope tree for eg. DC=myjeeva,DC=com
     * @return search result a {@link javax.naming.NamingEnumeration} object - active directory search result
     * @throws NamingException
     */
    public NamingEnumeration<SearchResult> searchUser(String searchValue, String searchBy, String searchBase) throws NamingException {
        String filter = getFilter(searchValue, searchBy);       
        String base = (null == searchBase) ? domainBase : getDomainBase(searchBase); // for eg.: "DC=myjeeva,DC=com";

        return this.dirContext.search(base, filter, this.searchCtls);
    }

    /**
     * closes the LDAP connection with Domain controller
     */
    public void closeLdapConnection(){
        try {
            if(dirContext != null)
                dirContext.close();
        }
        catch (NamingException e) {
            LOG.severe(e.getMessage());            
        }
    }

    /**
     * active directory filter string value
     * 
     * @param searchValue a {@link java.lang.String} object - search value of username/email id for active directory
     * @param searchBy a {@link java.lang.String} object - scope of search by username or email id
     * @return a {@link java.lang.String} object - filter string
     */
    private String getFilter(String searchValue, String searchBy) {
        String filter = this.baseFilter;        
        if(searchBy.equals("email")) {
            filter += "(mail=" + searchValue + "))";
        } else if(searchBy.equals("username")) {
            filter += "(samaccountname=" + searchValue + "))";
        }
        return filter;
    }

    /**
     * creating a domain base value from domain controller name
     * 
     * @param base a {@link java.lang.String} object - name of the domain controller
     * @return a {@link java.lang.String} object - base name for eg. DC=myjeeva,DC=com
     */
    private static String getDomainBase(String base) {
        char[] namePair = base.toUpperCase().toCharArray();
        String dn = "DC=";
        for (int i = 0; i < namePair.length; i++) {
            if (namePair[i] == '.') {
                dn += ",DC=" + namePair[++i];
            } else {
                dn += namePair[i];
            }
        }
        return dn;
    }
}

Sample Usage Code

/**
 * The MIT License
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2010-2012 www.myjeeva.com
 *
 * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
 * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
 * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
 * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
 * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
 * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
 *
 * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
 * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
 *
 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
 * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
 * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
 * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
 * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
 * THE SOFTWARE. 
 * 
 */
package com.LdapSearchDaoBean;

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStreamReader;

import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;
import javax.naming.NamingException;
import javax.naming.directory.Attributes;
import javax.naming.directory.SearchResult;

/**
 * Sample program how to use ActiveDirectory class in Java
 * 
 * @filename SampleUsageActiveDirectory.java
 * @author <a href="mailto:jeeva@myjeeva.com">Jeevanandam Madanagopal</a>
 * @copyright &copy; 2010-2012 www.myjeeva.com
 */
public class SampleUsageActiveDirectory {

    /**
     * @param args
     * @throws NamingException 
     */
    public static void main(String[] args) throws NamingException, IOException {
        System.out.println("\n\nQuerying Active Directory Using Java");
        System.out.println("------------------------------------");
        String domain = "";
        String username = "";
        String password = "";
        String choice = "";
        String searchTerm = "";
        BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));

        System.out.println("Provide username & password for connecting AD");
        System.out.println("Enter Domain:");            
        domain = br.readLine();
        System.out.println("Enter username:");          
        username = br.readLine();           
        System.out.println("Enter password:");
        password = br.readLine();
        System.out.println("Search by username or email:");
        choice = br.readLine();
        System.out.println("Enter search term:");
        searchTerm = br.readLine();

        //Creating instance of ActiveDirectory
        ActiveDirectory activeDirectory = new ActiveDirectory(username, password, domain);

        //Searching
        NamingEnumeration<SearchResult> result = activeDirectory.searchUser(searchTerm, choice, null);

        if(result.hasMore()) {
            SearchResult rs= (SearchResult)result.next();
            Attributes attrs = rs.getAttributes();
            String temp = attrs.get("samaccountname").toString();
            System.out.println("Username    : " + temp.substring(temp.indexOf(":")+1));
            temp = attrs.get("givenname").toString();
            System.out.println("Name         : " + temp.substring(temp.indexOf(":")+1));
            temp = attrs.get("mail").toString();
            System.out.println("Email ID    : " + temp.substring(temp.indexOf(":")+1));
            temp = attrs.get("cn").toString();
            System.out.println("Display Name : " + temp.substring(temp.indexOf(":")+1) + "\n\n"); 
        } else  {
            System.out.println("No search result found!");
        }

        //Closing LDAP Connection
        activeDirectory.closeLdapConnection();
    }
}

I tried to use the above code with following input in console:

Querying Active Directory Using Java
------------------------------------
Provide username & password for connecting AD
Enter Domain:
DC=de,DC=*****,DC=com
Enter username:
************** ( i've hidden username)
Enter password:
************* (i've hidden password)
Search by username or email:
username
Enter search term:
user1

And I get following errors

Apr 12, 2013 10:35:17 AM com.LdapSearchDaoBean.ActiveDirectory <init>
SEVERE: DC=de,DC=*****,DC=com:389
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
    at com.LdapSearchDaoBean.ActiveDirectory.searchUser(ActiveDirectory.java:101)
    at com.LdapSearchDaoBean.SampleUsageActiveDirectory.main(SampleUsageActiveDirectory.java:75)

It will be really great if someone can help me out may be with a little explanation on HowTo and how can I actually use this in AutoComplete in JSF2.0 forms. I'm literally lost over this topic. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I got the same problem, which i can not resolve, but I maybe can help you with your problem. When the Application asks for the Domain, it wants the IP/Adress like: "10.10.200.1:389" or "my.activedirectoryurl:389" from your active directory.

Besides this, the code does not work properly, because there is a null given in line 75 in SampleUsageActiveDirectory and this will always cause the NullPointer-Exception:

NamingEnumeration<SearchResult> result = activeDirectory.searchUser(searchTerm, choice, null);

Answer 2

The error you have is, that you have entered the AD values. For hostname just use the real AD server name like ad.myserver.com or the ip address. Then it should work.