sAMAccountNames in Active Directory

Use KeePass with Pleasant Password Server

Internally, Active Directory (AD) uses several naming schemes for a given object. In the case of a User, two fields are of particular relevance: sAMAccountName (SAM-Account) and userPrincipalName (UPN).

sAMAccountNames

• Logon names maintained for backwards compatability with pre-NT4 clients
• Format: domainname\username
• Limited to 20 characters

UPNs

• Logon names formatted as email addresses; Note: the UPN's domain doesn't always match the user's location domain
• Format: username@domainname.com
• No character limit

Current Limitations

Authentication / Auto-Import - Allows up to 20 characters (sAMAccountName)

The component that Pleasant Password Server (PPASS) uses for Auto-Import searches via sAMAccountName, not UPN. This means that PPASS will be unable to find users using long usernames, regardless of whether they exist.

Work-Around: Some customers have found a work-around by using the Directory alias ('@alias') as a suffix, for example, username@alias

Manual Importing - Allows 20 or more characters (sAMAccountName/UPN)

• Import Users or Import Groups pages will bind and allow manual importing of usernames of 20 or more characters long

How do I find sAMAccountNames?

With Active Directory Users and Computers open:

• Click View > Advanced Features
• Open the properties of an object > Attribute Editor tab > Scroll down to sAMAccountName

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