Question

Currently building a WPF app that will run in an environment where the user logs into Windows PC which is on a domain (DC). The app will ask the user to enter their login and password again when it starts up, and the login/password will be verified against Active Directory (forgive me if my terminology is not correct here).

The login is all-or-nothing; if their password is correct, there is no (current) concern with retrieving groups, rights or anything of that nature.

The development environment is not AD-based, and is not on a domain. Are there any options for simulating this kind of login without going through the process of setting up a domain controller and adding the development and test environment machines to it?

There will be some opportunity to do deployment testing during the course of the project (IOW create a test login app, deploy it to the user and make sure the login works before final deployment). At the same time, I will need to use some sort implementation that works in the test/dev environment.

Any thoughts? Would you recommend against simulating this in lieu of setting up a DC?

Answer 1

Use ADAM (Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Application Mode)

For organizations that require
flexible support for directory-enabled
applications, Microsoft has developed
Active Directory Application Mode
(ADAM). ADAM is a Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
directory service that runs as a user
service, rather than as a system
service. Active Directory Application
Mode represents a breakthrough in
directory services technology that
provides flexibility and helps
organizations avoid increased
infrastructure costs.

That is, a free AD server from Microsoft that you can run on your desktop.