# Configure Active Directory Username Lookup Where a server is joined to an Active Directory domain, and when space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME starts-up on the server, space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME will automatically look-up the user's space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME username from Active Directory. By default, space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME will look up the username from the *user principal name* Active Directory property. space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME will then validate the username is set-up on the space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME subscription. Typically, in most environments, the Active Directory user principal name attribute should match the user's Microsoft 365 username, and hence their space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME username. But, you may have an environment where this is not the case. The Active Directory user principal name may be set to a different domain to the Microsoft 365 domain, and you do not want to change this on your Active Directory.

An example where a user's user principal name may be set to some other domain than their Microsoft 365 domain

This will cause an error for space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME when it starts up as it will fail to verify the user is set up on the subscription as the Active Directory user principal name does not match their space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME username. Through the space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME Administration Console, you can configure space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME to use an alternative Active Directory attribute from which to look up their username. For example, you can configure space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME to look up the username from the mail attribute instead.

The mail (E-mail) attribute for this particular user is set to Henry@test.net in Active Directory. space.vars.PRODUCT_NAME can be configured to lookup from mail instead of user principal name

Here's how to change the lookup attribute: {% stepper %} {% step %} From the [Administration Console](https://docs.zeedrive.com/administration-guide/overview-of-the-administration-console), click the action button then click the "Manage hot desk computers and desktop servers" option
{% endstep %} {% step %} Click the "Choose an action..." button then click the option "Configure the AD attribute for username lookup"
{% endstep %} {% step %} space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME will show the current lookup attribute name. If you haven't yet changed it, it will be set to the default, *userprincipalname*. Enter the new lookup attribute and then click the Update button
{% endstep %} {% step %} In this example, I changed the lookup attribute to mail. On clicking the Update button, the busy indicator will show whilst space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME updates the attribute
{% endstep %} {% step %} The green tick mark will show after space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME has successfully updated the lookup attribute. When users next sign in to the server, space.vars.PRODUCT\_NAME will use the new attribute name to lookup their username from Active Directory
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