Update Manager Name in Active Directory Using C#

Introduction

I was trying to update the manager name in Active Directory, but I faced some problems while doing that. I searched the Internet, but didn't find anything useful about this topic.

Background

Most user fields in Active Directory can be inserted as normal text, but Manager has a distinguished name syntax attribute (2.5.5.1), so you have to supply a valid DN for it, not just any string.

Using the code

First, you have to use the System.DirectoryServices and System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory namespaces.

using System;
using System.DirectoryServices;
using System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory;

This code does the actual work:

string EmployeeSAM = "tamer.tharwat";

//you have to use the current user account or any domain admin user account
DirectoryEntry objDirEnt = new DirectoryEntry("LDAP://AlfanarCo", 
                           @"alfanar.com\Tamer.Tharwat", "****");

//searcher object to select the current user from the Active directory
DirectorySearcher mySearcher = new DirectorySearcher(objDirEnt);

mySearcher.PageSize = 10000;
//you can increase it according to your active directory database size

mySearcher.Filter = "(&(objectCategory=user)(samAccountName="+EmployeeSAM+"))";
//you can add any filter you want 

mySearcher.PropertiesToLoad.Add("samAccountName");
mySearcher.PropertiesToLoad.Add("Manager");
mySearcher.SearchScope = SearchScope.Subtree;

SearchResult result;
SearchResultCollection resultCol = mySearcher.FindAll();
//you can use the colliction for bulk update

if (resultCol != null)
{

for (int counter = 0; counter < resultCol.Count; counter++)
{
    result = resultCol[counter];

    DirectoryEntry Userde = result.GetDirectoryEntry();
    //the directory entry for the user 

    if (result.Properties.Contains("samaccountname"))
    //check if it is a valid entry
    {

        string ManagerSAM = "aymanb";//manager Account 
        DirectorySearcher managerSearcher = new DirectorySearcher(objDirEnt);
        managerSearcher.PageSize = 10;
        managerSearcher.Filter = "(&(objectCategory=user)(samAccountName=" + 
                                 ManagerSAM + "))";
        managerSearcher.PropertiesToLoad.Add("DistinguishedName");
        managerSearcher.SearchScope = SearchScope.Subtree;

        SearchResult managerResult;
        SearchResultCollection managerResultCol = managerSearcher.FindAll();


        if (managerResultCol != null)
        {
            managerResult = managerResultCol[0];
            string managerName = 
              (string)managerResult.Properties["DistinguishedName"][0];

            //here update the manager name 
            //in the user directtory entry "Userde"
            (Userde.Properties["Manager"]).Value = managerName;
            Userde.CommitChanges();
        }
    }
}