Connect to Active Directory Data in JRuby

JRuby is a high-performance, stable, fully threaded Java implementation of the Ruby programming language. The CData JDBC Driver for Active Directory makes it easy to integrate connectivity to live Active Directory data in JRuby. This article shows how to create a simple JRuby app that connects to Active Directory data, executes a query, and displays the results.

Configure a JDBC Connection to Active Directory Data

Before creating the app, note the installation location for the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Active Directory\lib).

JRuby natively supports JDBC, so you can easily connect to Active Directory and execute SQL queries. Initialize the JDBC connection with the getConnection function of the java.sql.DriverManager class.

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 typical JDBC connection string for Active Directory:

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

Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to Active Directory Data

Create a new Ruby file (for example: ActiveDirectorySelect.rb) and open it in a text editor. Copy the following code into your file:

require 'java'
require 'rubygems'
require 'C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for Active Directory 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.activedirectory.jar'

url = "jdbc:activedirectory:User=cn=Bob F,ou=Employees,dc=Domain;Password=bob123;Server=10.0.1.2;Port=389;"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT Id, LogonCount FROM User")
while (rs.next) do
 puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end

With the file completed, you are ready to display your Active Directory data with JRuby. To do so, simply run your file from the command line:

jruby -S ActiveDirectorySelect.rb

Writing SQL-92 queries to Active Directory allows you to quickly and easily incorporate Active Directory data into your own JRuby applications. Download a free trial today!