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Thread: Windows Forms App with Active Directory authentication

  1. #1

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    Randalf the Red honeybee's Avatar
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    Windows Forms App with Active Directory authentication

    I have a weird problem: I have a Windows Forms app that's ready to roll. It needs to have users and roles to ensure the right person accesses the right functionality.

    My boss wants me to use the Active Directory to provide the app with the users and their roles and access rights for the app's features.

    My problem is how do I map the user's access rights to the app features?

    With a web app it's fairly easy because you can assign/revoke access rights to different folders and the job is done. However in a Windows app which will be deployed to each user's desktop, how the heck do I control the features?

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  2. #2
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    Re: Windows Forms App with Active Directory authentication

    I think the application itself is going to have to query active directory and set itself up accordingly. Often this is done by showing or hiding UI elements (buttons, menus etc) but bear in mind if you do it that way that a sharp user with winspy could send a message to re-enable ort re-show UI elements to which they should not have access.

  3. #3

    Thread Starter
    Randalf the Red honeybee's Avatar
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    Re: Windows Forms App with Active Directory authentication

    I wouldn't worry about users using such tools, as it's a very remote possibility in practice (at least for the scenario I have in mind). The application is primarily meant for users who are computer literate, but not techno-savvy.

    Maybe I could design the installation of the application in such a way that the user is authenticated during installation and only the appropriate libraries/files are downloaded to his machine, or have the app re-designed to add a central layer of authentication apart from the UI so I can at least restrict the data input/output if not the menus.

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