Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership

Article
10/31/2012

Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership

Gets the Active Directory groups that have a specified user, computer, group, or service account.

Syntax

Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership [-Identity] <ADPrincipal> [-AuthType {<Negotiate> | <Basic>}] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Partition <string>] [-ResourceContextPartition <string>] [-ResourceContextServer <string>] [-Server <string>] [<CommonParameters>]

Identity
AuthType
Credential
Partition
ResourceContextPartition
ResourceContextServer
Server

Detailed Description

The Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership cmdlet gets the Active Directory groups that have a specified user, computer, group, or service account as a member. This cmdlet requires a global catalog to perform the group search. If the forest that contains the user, computer or group does not have a global catalog, the cmdlet returns a non-terminating error. If you want to search for local groups in another domain, use the ResourceContextServer parameter to specify the alternate server in the other domain.

The Identity parameter specifies the user, computer, or group object that you want to determine group membership for. You can identify a user, computer, or group object by its distinguished name (DN), GUID, security identifier (SID) or SAM account name. You can also specify a user, group, or computer object variable, such as $<localGroupObject>, or pass an object through the pipeline to the Identity parameter. For example, you can use the Get-ADGroup cmdlet to retrieve a group object and then pass the object through the pipeline to the Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership cmdlet. Similarly, you can use Get-ADUser or Get-ADComputer to get user and computer objects to pass through the pipeline.

For AD LDS environments, the Partition parameter must be specified except in the following two conditions:
-The cmdlet is run from an Active Directory provider drive.
-A default naming context or partition is defined for the AD LDS environment. To specify a default naming context for an AD LDS environment, set the msDS-defaultNamingContext property of the Active Directory directory service agent (DSA) object (nTDSDSA) for the AD LDS instance.

Parameters

AuthType

Specifies the authentication method to use. Possible values for this parameter include:
Negotiate or 0
Basic or 1

The default authentication method is Negotiate.

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection is required for the Basic authentication method.

The following example shows how to set this parameter to Basic.
-AuthType Basic

The following lists the acceptable values for this parameter:

Negotiate**
Basic**

Default Value: Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.AuthType.Negotiate

Data Type: ADAuthType

Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	false	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength
Accept wildcard characters?	false	globbing
Accept Pipeline Input?	false	pipelineInput
Position?	named	position

Value Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength

Credential

Specifies the user account credentials to use to perform this task. The default credentials are the credentials of the currently logged on user unless the cmdlet is run from an Active Directory PowerShell provider drive. If the cmdlet is run from such a provider drive, the account associated with the drive is the default.

To specify this parameter, you can type a user name, such as "User1" or "Domain01\User01" or you can specify a PSCredential object. If you specify a user name for this parameter, the cmdlet prompts for a password.

You can also create a PSCredential object by using a script or by using the Get-Credential cmdlet. You can then set the Credential parameter to the PSCredential object The following example shows how to create credentials.
$AdminCredentials = Get-Credential "Domain01\User01"

The following shows how to set the Credential parameter to these credentials.
-Credential $AdminCredentials

If the acting credentials do not have directory-level permission to perform the task, Active Directory PowerShell returns a terminating error.

Default Value: **

Data Type: PSCredential

Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	false	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength
Accept wildcard characters?	false	globbing
Accept Pipeline Input?	false	pipelineInput
Position?	named	position

Value Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength

Identity

Specifies an Active Directory principal object by providing one of the following property values. The identifier in parentheses is the LDAP display name for the attribute.

Distinguished Name
Example: CN=SaraDavis,CN=Users,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com
GUID (objectGUID)
Example: 599c3d2e-f72d-4d20-8a88-030d99495f20
Security Identifier (objectSid)
Example: S-1-5-21-3165297888-301567370-576410423-1103
SAM Account Name (sAMAccountName)
Example: saradavis

The cmdlet searches the default naming context or partition to find the object. If two or more objects are found, the cmdlet returns a non-terminating error.

This parameter can also get this object through the pipeline or you can set this parameter to an object instance.

Derived types, such as the following are also accepted:
- Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup
- Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser
- Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADComputer
- Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADServiceAccount

This example shows how to set the parameter to a distinguished name.
-Identity "CN=saradavis,CN=Users,DC=corp,DC=contoso,DC=com"

This example shows how to set this parameter to a principal object instance named "principalInstance".
-Identity $principalInstance

Default Value: **

Data Type: ADPrincipal

Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength
Accept wildcard characters?	false	globbing
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByValue)	pipelineInput
Position?	1	position

Value Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength

Partition

Specifies the distinguished name of an Active Directory partition. The distinguished name must be one of the naming contexts on the current directory server. The cmdlet searches this partition to find the object defined by the Identity parameter.
The following two examples show how to specify a value for this parameter.
-Partition "CN=Configuration,DC=EUROPE,DC=TEST,DC=CONTOSO,DC=COM"

-Partition "CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=EUROPE,DC=TEST,DC=CONTOSO,DC=COM"

In many cases, a default value will be used for the Partition parameter if no value is specified. The rules for determining the default value are given below. Note that rules listed first are evaluated first and once a default value can be determined, no further rules will be evaluated.

In AD DS environments, a default value for Partition will be set in the following cases: - If the Identity parameter is set to a distinguished name, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from this distinguished name.
- If running cmdlets from an Active Directory provider drive, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from the current path in the drive.
- If none of the previous cases apply, the default value of Partition will be set to the default partition or naming context of the target domain.

In AD LDS environments, a default value for Partition will be set in the following cases:
- If the Identity parameter is set to a distinguished name, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from this distinguished name.
- If running cmdlets from an Active Directory provider drive, the default value of Partition is automatically generated from the current path in the drive.
- If the target AD LDS instance has a default naming context, the default value of Partition will be set to the default naming context. To specify a default naming context for an AD LDS environment, set the msDS-defaultNamingContext property of the Active Directory directory service agent (DSA) object (nTDSDSA) for the AD LDS instance.
- If none of the previous cases apply, the Partition parameter will not take any default value.

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	false	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength
Accept wildcard characters?	false	globbing
Accept Pipeline Input?	false	pipelineInput
Position?	named	position

Value Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength

ResourceContextPartition

Specifies the distinguished name of the partition of an AD or AD LDS instance to search. Use this parameter with the ResourceContextServer parameter to specify a partition hosted by the specified server. If the ResourceContextPartition parameter is not specified, the default partition of the ResourceContextServer is searched.

The following example shows how to set this parameter.
-ResourceContextPartition "cn=employees,dc=corp,dc=contoso,dc=com"

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	false	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength
Accept wildcard characters?	false	globbing
Accept Pipeline Input?	false	pipelineInput
Position?	named	position

Value Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength

ResourceContextServer

Specifies that the cmdlet return a list of groups that the user is a member of and that reside in the specified domain. Use this parameter to search for groups in a domain that is not the domain where the user's account resides. To search a partition other than the default partition in this domain, also specify the ResourceContextPartition parameter.

The following example shows how to specify this parameter.
-ResourceContextServer "corp.contoso.com"

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	false	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength
Accept wildcard characters?	false	globbing
Accept Pipeline Input?	false	pipelineInput
Position?	named	position

Value Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength

Server

Specifies the Active Directory Domain Services instance to connect to, by providing one of the following values for a corresponding domain name or directory server. The service may be any of the following: Active Directory Lightweight Domain Services, Active Directory Domain Services or Active Directory Snapshot instance.
Domain name values:
Fully qualified domain name
Examples: corp.contoso.com
NetBIOS name
Example: CORP

Directory server values:
Fully qualified directory server name
Example: corp-DC12.corp.contoso.com
NetBIOS name
Example: corp-DC12
Fully qualified directory server name and port
Example: corp-DC12.corp.contoso.com:3268

The default value for the Server parameter is determined by one of the following methods in the order that they are listed:
-By using Server value from objects passed through the pipeline.
-By using the server information associated with the Active Directory PowerShell provider drive, when running under that drive.
-By using the domain of the computer running Powershell.

The following example shows how to specify a full qualified domain name as the parameter value.
-Server "corp.contoso.com"

Default Value: **

Data Type: string

Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	false	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength
Accept wildcard characters?	false	globbing
Accept Pipeline Input?	false	pipelineInput
Position?	named	position

Value Attributes

Name	Value	PSMAML Attribute
Required?	true	required
Variable Length?	false	variableLength

Input Type

Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADPrincipal

A principal object that represents a user, computer or group is received by the Identity parameter. Derived types, such as the following are also received by this parameter.
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADUser
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADComputer
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADServiceAccount
Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup

Return Type

Microsoft.ActiveDirectory.Management.ADGroup

Returns group objects that have the specified user, computer, group or service account as a member.

The Get-ADPrincipalGroupMembership cmdlet returns a default set of ADGroup property values. To retrieve additional ADGroup properties pass the ADGroups objects produced by this cmdlet through the pipline to Get-ADGroup. Specify the additional properties required from the group objects by passing the -Properties parameter to Get-ADGroup.

Notes

This cmdlet does not work with an Active Directory Snapshot.

Examples

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 1 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

get-adprincipalgroupmembership -server localhost:60000 -identity "CN=GlenJohns,DC=AppNC" -partition "DC=AppNC"

Retrieve all the groups the user 'CN=GlenJohns,DC=AppNC' is a member of on an AD LDS instance.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 2 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

get-adprincipalgroupmembership -Identity Administrator

distinguishedName : CN=Domain Users,CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com
GroupCategory : Security
GroupScope : Global
name : Domain Users
objectClass : group
objectGUID : 86c0f0d5-8b4d-4f35-a867-85a006b92902
SamAccountName : Domain Users
SID : S-1-5-21-41432690-3719764436-1984117282-513

distinguishedName : CN=Administrators,CN=Builtin,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com
GroupCategory : Security
GroupScope : DomainLocal
name : Administrators
objectClass : group
objectGUID : 02ce3874-dd86-41ba-bddc-013f34019978
SamAccountName : Administrators
SID : S-1-5-32-544

distinguishedName : CN=Schema Admins,CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com
GroupCategory : Security
GroupScope : Universal
name : Schema Admins
objectClass : group
objectGUID : 8d62890f-385e-4cfa-9b2a-c72576097583
SamAccountName : Schema Admins
SID : S-1-5-21-41432690-3719764436-1984117282-518

distinguishedName : CN=Enterprise Admins,CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com
GroupCategory : Security
GroupScope : Universal
name : Enterprise Admins
objectClass : group
objectGUID : 0215b0a5-aea1-40da-b598-720efe930ddf
SamAccountName : Enterprise Admins
SID : S-1-5-21-41432690-3719764436-1984117282-519

distinguishedName : CN=Domain Admins,CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com
GroupCategory : Security
GroupScope : Global
name : Domain Admins
objectClass : group
objectGUID : 5ccc6037-c2c9-42be-8e92-c8f98afd0011
SamAccountName : Domain Admins
SID : S-1-5-21-41432690-3719764436-1984117282-512

distinguishedName : CN=Group Policy Creator Owners,CN=Users,DC=Fabrikam,DC=com
GroupCategory : Security
GroupScope : Global
name : Group Policy Creator Owners
objectClass : group
objectGUID : a58f7bf2-fd20-4bbd-96f0-ee10fa1613c7
SamAccountName : Group Policy Creator Owners
SID : S-1-5-21-41432690-3719764436-1984117282-520

Description

-----------

Retrieve all the groups the administrator is a member of.

-------------------------- EXAMPLE 3 --------------------------

Command Prompt: C:\PS>

get-adprincipalgroupmembership -Identity Administrator -ResourceContextServer ChildDomain.Fabrikam.Com -ResourceContextPartition "DC=Fabrikam,DC=com"

Description

-----------

Retrieve all teh groups the adminsitrator account in the local domain is a member of in the resource domain ChildDomain.Fabrikam.Com

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