The Active Directory ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live Active Directory, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity. Access Active Directory objects like you would a database - access Users, Groups, Roles, and Contacts, or define custom tables for any ObjectClass, and then perform SQL queries through a standard ODBC Driver interface.
Active Directory ODBC Connectivity Features
- Compatible with LDAP v2 and LDAP v3
- Customize table schema, splitting ObjectClass attributes into individual rows and Description attributes into their own columns
- Connect to live Active Directory data, for real-time data access with the Active Directory ADO.NET Provider
- Full support for data aggregation and complex JOINs in SQL queries
- Secure connectivity through modern cryptography, including TLS 1.2, SHA-256, ECC, etc.
- Seamless integration with leading BI, reporting, and ETL tools and with custom applications via the Active Directory Connector.
Target Service, API
The driver connects to Microsoft Active Directory and Azure Active Directory via LDAP protocol. Provides SQL access to directory objects and attributes.
Schema, Data Model
Models Active Directory as relational tables representing different object types. Each object class (users, groups, computers, etc.) is exposed as a table with attributes as columns.
Key Objects
Users, Groups, Computers, Organizational Units, Contacts, Printers, and custom object classes. Access to all standard and custom Active Directory attributes.
Operations
Full CRUD operations on directory objects. SQL queries with filtering, sorting, and JOINs. Supports LDAP search filters and attribute modifications.
Authentication
Supports Windows Authentication (current user context), Username/Password, and SSL/TLS connections. Connection to domain controllers via LDAP or LDAPS.
Robust ODBC Access to Active Directory
Full-featured and consistent SQL access to any supported data source through ODBC
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Standards-Compliant ODBC
ODBC 3.8 compliant native protocol based drivers.
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Unicode, 32-bit and 64-bit support
Support 32-bit and 64-bit applications and unicode ODBC APIs.
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Cross-platform ODBC (Windows/Linux/Mac)
Available for Microsoft Windows, Unix, and Mac (macOS / OS X) platforms.
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Certified ODBC Compatibility*
Our drivers undergo extensive testing and are certified to be compatible with leading analytics and reporting applications like Tableau, Microsoft Excel, and many more.
* Please visit our knowledge base to access how-to articles. -
Embedded Remoting Capabilities
Our exclusive Remoting feature allows hosting the ODBC connection on a server to enable connections from various clients on any platform (Java, .NET, C++, PHP, Python, etc.), using any standards based technology (ODBC, JDBC, etc.). ODBC Remoting is enabled using the popular MySQL and SQL (TDS) wire protocol server.
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String, Date, Numeric SQL Functions
The driver includes a library of 50 plus functions that can manipulate column values into the desired result. Popular examples include Regex, JSON, and XML processing functions.
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Collaborative Query Processing
Our drivers enhance the data source's capabilities by additional client-side processing, when needed, to enable analytic summaries of data such as SUM, AVG, MAX, MIN, etc.
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Easily Customizable and Configurable
The data model exposed by our ODBC Drivers can easily be customized to add or remove tables/columns, change data types, etc. without requiring a new build. These customizations are supported at runtime using human-readable schema files that are easy to edit.
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Enterprise-class Secure Connectivity
Includes standard Enterprise-class security features such as TLS/ SSL data encryption for all client-server communications.
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Replication and Caching
Our replication and caching commands make it easy to copy data to local and cloud data stores such as Oracle, SQL Server, Google Cloud SQL, etc. The replication commands include many features that allow for intelligent incremental updates to cached data.
See what you can do with Active Directory ODBC Driver
Server
Connect to Active Directory from SQL Server as Linked-Server. You can query Active Directory from familiar Transact-SQL without need of setting up another application.
Integrate Active Directory to your system through popular ETL / EAI tools such as Informatica PowerCenter. Standard SQL and Stored Procedures enable fast delivery of your integration projects.
Connect Active Directory from any ODBC compatible tools:
Desktop
Your familiar tools can connect to Active Directory using CData ODBC.
- Microsoft Access
- Power Query
- DBeaver
- and more
Connect to Active Directory — empower every team
- Easiest way to connect to Active Directory
- Dashboard / Reports that connect with Active Directory
- Data drives business, but IT teams are overwhelmed by accessing numerous siloed sources like Active Directory. CData ODBC Drivers offer the fastest, easiest way to connect Active Directory to BI tools like SAP BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Qlik, or Access.
Integrate Active Directory to your system:
- Custom application integration with SQL
- SQL Server Linked Server
- Informatica PowerCenter
Need to integrate your internal systems with Active Directory? CData ODBC Drivers let you do it easily—access Active Directory as a SQL Server Linked Server or connect via tools like Informatica PowerCenter using an SQL-based driver, no extra middleware required.
- Data Client of your choice
- Excel, MS Access Linked-table, PowerQuery
Still exporting and importing CSVs manually or with scripts? CData ODBC Drivers give you live access to Active Directory — no middleware or files needed. Use your preferred tools and stay in control of your Active Directory data.
Frequently Asked Active Directory ODBC Driver Questions
Learn more about Active Directory ODBC drivers for data and analytics integration
Does Active Directory support ODBC?
Not natively. However, CData offers an ODBC driver for Active Directory that allows you to connect to Active Directory data from any ODBC-compliant application, just like you would access a traditional database. This can be useful for tasks like:
- Accessing Active Directory from applications: Connect to Active Directory data in popular tools and applications including Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Power BI, and many others.
- Real-time data: You can work with live Active Directory data within these applications, enabling tasks like reporting and analysis.
- Connecting systems: Build data integrations between Active Directory and other systems.
The Active Directory ODBC driver is an ODBC 3.8 compliant native protocol-based driver with comprehensive ANSI SQL-92 support. This means that virtually any application that can connect to data via ODBC, can use the CData ODBC driver for real-time integration. Download a fully functional free trial of the Active Directory ODBC driver today to get started.
Is there an ODBC driver for Active Directory?
Yes, the CData ODBC driver for Active Directory provides universal ODBC data connectivity for Active Directory. The Active Directory ODBC driver offers a simple SQL-based layer of abstraction that simplifies real-time data access for users and applications, enabling them to communicate with Active Directory using a standardized set of functions. Virtually any application on any platform (including Windows, macOS, or *nix) can use the CData ODBC driver for real-time integration.
How do I connect to Active Directory via ODBC?
Connectivity to Active Directory via ODBC is easy. First, download and install the Active Directory ODBC driver. The download page includes separate installers for Windows, macOS, and Unix, so please select the Active Directory ODBC driver that matches the platform where you intend to use the driver.
Once the installation is complete, navigate to the ODBC driver documentation page. Here, you'll find a wealth of information about the installed driver. The step-by-step instructions for creating a DSN and using it to connect to Active Directory via ODBC are just the beginning. The documentation also provides extensive configuration details for using the Active Directory ODBC driver with all your favorite applications and development tools, ensuring you have all the support you need.
Where can I download an ODBC driver for Active Directory?
All of the CData ODBC drivers, including the Active Directory ODBC driver are available for download online. To get started, download a fully functional free trial of the Active Directory ODBC driver today.
How do I install an ODBC driver for Active Directory?
To install the Active Directory driver, simply download one of the Active Directory ODBC driver installers available online. The download page includes separate Windows, macOS, and Unix installers, so please select the Active Directory ODBC driver that matches the platform where you intend to use the driver. The installers are comprehensive setup utilities that will install all the components required to use the Active Directory ODBC driver on your system.
Is the Active Directory ODBC driver 32-bit or 64-bit?
The Active Directory ODBC driver is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries. The Active Directory driver installer will allow you to install both options, and you can select the ODBC driver binary that is appropriate for the system where you intend to use the driver.
Does pyODBC work with Active Directory?
Absolutely. The Active Directory ODBC driver seamlessly supports pyODBC connectivity. For example, check out this article on our online knowledgebase that demonstrates how you can connect to Active Directory from PyCharm using pyODBC and the Active Directory ODBC driver.
However, besides ODBC support, we also provide native Python data connectivity for Active Directory. To learn more, check out the Active Directory Python Connector online.
