Custom AD Attributes using powershell

Question

Hi,
Is it possible to create custom attributes using powershell v2/v3 ?
Marcel

Answer 1

Marcel,
Active Directory Cookbook, 3rd Edition has a way to do it. Unfortunately, they do not include the crucial step of assigning the new attribute to the class. My company has multiple developers each with their own VM and we need to be able to do this hundreds
of times internally and for our clients. I have been struggling for weeks trying to find the final piece. (recipe 10.7). Please let me know if you can figure out the last step
Using PowerShell
To create a schema attribute using the Quest tools, use the
new-QADObject
cmdlet as
follows:
new-QADObject -ParentContainer 'cn=schema,cn=configuration,
<ForestRootDN>'
-type
'attributeSchema' -name 'adatum-LanguagesSpoken' -ObjectAttributes
@{lDAPDisplayName='adatum-LanguagesSpoken';
attributeId='1.3.6.1.4.1.999.1.1.28.3';oMSyntax='20';attributeSyntax='2.5.5.4';
isSingleValued='FALSE';description='Language a user speaks';searchFlags='1'}
To create a schema attribute using native PowerShell functionality, use the following
syntax:
$root = [ADSI]"LDAP://RootDSE"
$schema = $root.schemaNamingContext
$parentCont = [ADSI]("LDAP://" + $schema)
$newAttr = $parentCont.Create("attributeSchema","adatum-LanguagesSpoken")
$newAttr.put("lDAPDisplayName","adatum-LanguagesSpoken")
$newAttr.put("attributeId","1.3.6.1.4.1.999.1.1.28.3")
$newAttr.put("oMSyntax", 20)
$newAttr.put("attributeSyntax", "2.5.5.4")
$newAttr.put("isSingleValued", $false)
$newAttr.put("description", "Languages a user speaks")
$newAttr.put("searchFlags", 1)
$newAttr.SetInfo()
Discussion
To create an attribute, you need to add an
attributeSchema
object to the
Schema
container.
Typically, when you extend the schema, you perform several additions or modifications
at once. The order of your extensions is very important. You can’t create a
class, assign an attribute, and then create the attribute; you obviously need to create
the attribute before it can be assigned to the class.
Bud - MCITP