System.DirectoryServices Namespace

The System.DirectoryServices namespace provides easy access to Active Directory from managed code. The namespace contains two component classes, DirectoryEntry and DirectorySearcher, which use the Active Directory Services Interfaces (ADSI) technology. ADSI is the set of interfaces that Microsoft provides as a flexible tool for working with a variety of network providers. ADSI gives the administrator the ability to locate and manage resources on a network with relative ease, regardless of the network's size.

The classes in this namespace can be used with any of the Active Directory service providers. The current providers are: Internet Information Services (IIS), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Novell NetWare Directory Service (NDS), and WinNT.

ADSI is a programmatic interface for Microsoft Active Directory that enables your applications to interact with diverse directories on a network, using a single interface. Using ADSI, you can create applications that can perform common tasks, such as backing up databases, accessing printers, and administering user accounts.

It is assumed that you have a general understanding of Active Directory before using these classes. For more information on Active Directory, see Introduction to Active Directory Objects, Active Directory Technology Backgrounder, and the Active Directory topics in the MSDN library (msdn.microsoft.com):

• Active Directory Programmers Guide
• Active Directory Service Interfaces
• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol API
• ADSI System Providers
• WinNT Binding String
• Binding
• IADsOpenDSObject::OpenDSObject

Active Directory is a tree structure. Each node in the tree contains a set of properties. Use this namespace to traverse, search, and modify the tree, and read and write to the properties of a node.

The DirectoryEntry class encapsulates a node or object in the Active Directory hierarchy. Use this class for binding to objects, reading properties, and updating attributes. Together with helper classes, DirectoryEntry provides support for life-cycle management and navigation methods, including creating, deleting, renaming, moving a child node, and enumerating children.

Use the DirectorySearcher class to perform queries against the Active Directory hierarchy. LDAP is the only system-supplied Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) provider that supports searching.

A search of the Active Directory hierarchy through DirectorySearcher returns instances of SearchResult, which are contained in an instance of the SearchResultCollection class.

Namespace hierarchy

Classes

Class	Description
DirectoryEntries	Contains the children (child entries) of an entry in Active Directory.
DirectoryEntry	Encapsulates a node or object in the Active Directory hierarchy.
DirectorySearcher	Performs queries against Active Directory.
DirectoryServicesPermission	Allows control of code access security permissions for System.DirectoryServices.
DirectoryServicesPermissionAttribute	Allows declarative System.DirectoryServices permission checks.
DirectoryServicesPermissionEntry	Defines the smallest unit of a code access security permission set for System.DirectoryServices.
DirectoryServicesPermissionEntryCollection	Contains a strongly typed collection of DirectoryServicesPermissionEntry objects.
PropertyCollection	Contains the properties of a DirectoryEntry.
PropertyValueCollection	Contains the values of a DirectoryEntry property.
ResultPropertyCollection	Contains the properties of a SearchResult instance.
ResultPropertyValueCollection	Contains the values of a SearchResult property.
SchemaNameCollection	Contains a list of the schema names that the SchemaFilter property of a DirectoryEntries object can use.
SearchResult	Encapsulates a node in the Active Directory hierarchy that is returned during a search through DirectorySearcher.
SearchResultCollection	Contains the SearchResult instances that the Active Directory hierarchy returned during a DirectorySearcher query.
SortOption	Specifies how to sort the results of a search.

Enumerations

Enumeration	Description
AuthenticationTypes	Specifies the types of authentication used in System.DirectoryServices.
DirectoryServicesPermissionAccess	Defines access levels used by System.DirectoryServices permission classes.
ReferralChasingOption	Specifies if and how referral chasing is pursued.
SearchScope	Specifies the possible scopes for a directory search.
SortDirection	Specifies how to sort the results of an Active Directory query.