The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is an Internet protocol used by email, encryption and other services to get information from a server. LDAP servers index the information they contain so you can call to them and receive specific information. You can use the Nslookup command-line tool on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 to test if you have access to an LDAP server on your network.
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Using Nslookup
Open the Command Prompt and type "Nslookup" and press "Enter." Type "set type=any" and press "Enter" so that the Nslookup prompt will return all types of data. Now type "_ldap._tcp.dc._msdcs.domain" where "domain" is the name of your domain. Include the domain designation, such as .com or .net. This will return all of the information about your LDAP server including its port, Internet address and its fully qualified domain name, often listed as FQDN.
Version Information
Information in this article applies to Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. It may differ slightly or significantly with other versions or products. While exact commands may differ, Microsoft notes that Nslookup is supported by Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Vista.
