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Use JayDeBeApi to access Active Directory Data in Python


Use standard Python scripting and the development environment of your choice to access live Active Directory data.

Access Active Directory data with Python scripts and standard SQL on any machine where Python and Java can be installed. You can use the CData JDBC Driver for Active Directory and the JayDeBeApi module to work with remote Active Directory data in Python. By using the CData Driver, you are leveraging a driver written for industry-proven standards to access your data in the popular Python language. This article shows how to use the driver to execute SQL queries to Active Directory and visualize Active Directory data with standard Python.

Use the JayDeBeApi module

JayDeBeApi is a Python library that serves as a JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) bridge, allowing Python programs to interact with Java databases, including CData JDBC Drivers. Use the pip install command to install the module:

pip install JayDeBeApi

Create the JDBC URL

Once you have JayDeBeApi installed, you are ready to work with Active Directory data in Python using SQL.

To establish a connection, set the following properties:

  • Valid User and Password credentials (e.g., Domain\BobF or cn=Bob F,ou=Employees,dc=Domain).
  • Server information, including the IP or host name of the Server, as well as the Port.

  • BaseDN: This will limit the scope of LDAP searches to the height of the distinguished name provided.

    Note: Specifying a narrow BaseDN may greatly increase performance; for example, cn=users,dc=domain will only return results contained within cn=users and its children.

Built-in Connection String Designer

For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Active Directory JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

java -jar cdata.jdbc.activedirectory.jar

Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

Below is a sample variable assignment, including a typical JDBC connection string:

jdbc_url = "jdbc:activedirectory:User=cn=Bob F,ou=Employees,dc=Domain;Password=bob123;Server=10.0.1.2;Port=389;"

Access Active Directory data in Python

With the JDBC URL configured, you only need the absolute path to the JDBC driver JAR file, which is in the "lib" folder in the installation directory ("C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.activedirectory.jar" on Windows).

NOTE: If you haven't already, set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to the Java installation directory.

Use code similar to the follow to read and print data from Active Directory:

import jaydebeapi #The JDBC connection string jdbc_url = "jdbc:activedirectory:User=cn=Bob F,ou=Employees,dc=Domain;Password=bob123;Server=10.0.1.2;Port=389;" username = "****" password = "****" #The absolute Path to the JDBC driver JAR file, typically: jdbc_driver_jar = "C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.activedirectory.jar" conn = jaydebeapi.connect( "cdata.jdbc.activedirectory.jar", jdbc_url, [username, password], jdbc_driver_jar, ) cursor = conn.cursor() cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM User;") results = cursor.fetchall() for row in results: print(row) cursor.close() conn.close()

Free trial & more information

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Active Directory and start working with your live Active Directory data in Python. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.