Active Directory is a directory service developed by Microsoft, commonly used in enterprise environments to store and organize information about network resources. One of the key features of Active Directory is the ability to manage user accounts and permissions. In order to effectively manage these user accounts, it is important to know the common names (CN) of the users. In this article, we will explore the process of discovering the common names of users in Active Directory.
First, let's define what a common name (CN) is. In Active Directory, the CN is a unique name that is assigned to each user account. It is used to identify and distinguish a specific user from other users in the directory. The CN is typically the first name and last name of the user, and it is displayed in various places such as the address book and security permissions.
To discover the CN of a user in Active Directory, we can use the Active Directory Users and Computers tool. This tool is a Microsoft Management Console snap-in that allows administrators to manage user accounts and other objects in Active Directory. To access this tool, go to the Start menu and type "Active Directory Users and Computers" in the search bar.
Once the tool is open, navigate to the Users container in the domain where the user account is located. In the list of users, right-click on the user account and select "Properties" from the menu. This will open the Properties window for the user account.
In the Properties window, go to the "General" tab. Here, you will see the CN listed as the "Full name" of the user. This is the CN that is used to identify the user in Active Directory. You can also find the CN in the "Display name" field, which is a combination of the first name and last name of the user.
Another way to discover the CN of a user is by using the Active Directory Administrative Center. This is a newer tool that provides a more modern and user-friendly interface for managing Active Directory objects. To access this tool, go to the Start menu and type "Active Directory Administrative Center" in the search bar.
Once the tool is open, click on the "Users" container in the navigation pane. This will display a list of all user accounts in the domain. Double-click on the user account you want to view, and the CN will be listed under the "General" tab in the "Full name" field.
In addition to these methods, there are also command-line tools that can be used to discover the CN of users in Active Directory. For example, the dsquery command can be used to search for a user and retrieve their CN. The syntax for this command is as follows:
dsquery user -samid <username>
This will return the CN of the specified user. You can also use the dsget command to retrieve the CN of a user. The syntax for this command is as follows:
dsget user <distinguished name> -display
This will display the CN of the user in the command prompt.
In conclusion, the common name (CN) is an important identifier for user accounts in Active Directory. It is used to distinguish users and is displayed in various places throughout the directory. By using tools such as Active Directory Users and Computers and the Active Directory Administrative Center, or command-line tools like dsquery and dsget, administrators can easily discover the CN of users in Active Directory. This knowledge is essential for effectively managing user accounts and permissions in an enterprise environment.
