Active Directory Cookbook

4.6. Searching the Global Catalog

Problem

You want to perform a forest-wide search using the global catalog.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Open LDP.

2. From the menu, select Connection → Connect.

3. For Server, enter the name of a global catalog server.

4. For Port, enter 3268.

5. Click OK.

6. From the menu, select Connection → Bind.

7. Enter credentials of a user.

8. Click OK.

9. From the menu, select Browse → Search.

10. For BaseDN, type the base distinguished name where to start the search.

11. For Scope, select the appropriate scope.

12. For Filter, enter an LDAP filter.

13. Click Run.

Using a command-line interface

> dsquery * <BaseDN> -gc -scope <Scope> -filter "<Filter>" -attr "<AttrList>"

Using VBScript

' This code searches the global catalog
' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
strBase    =  "<GC://<BaseDN>>;"
strFilter  = "<Filter>;"
strAttrs   = "<AttrList>;"
strScope   = "<Scope>"
' ------ END CONFIGURATION ---------

set objConn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
objConn.Provider = "ADsDSOObject"
objConn.Open "Active Directory Provider"
set objRS = objConn.Execute(strBase & strFilter & strAttrs & strScope)
objRS.MoveFirst
while Not objRS.EOF
    Wscript.Echo objRS.Fields(0).Value
    objRS.MoveNext
wend

Discussion

The global catalog facilitates forest-wide searches. When you perform a normal LDAP search over port 389, you are searching against a particular partition in Active Directory, whether that is the Domain naming context, Configuration naming context, Schema naming context, or application partition. If you have multiple domains ...