Active Directory: Convert canonicalName node value from string to integer

Question

Are there any methods available to convert the string text value contained within the AD canonicalName attribute to an incremented integer value? Or, does this need to be pe

Answer 1

This is where my thinking takes me

I gave you 9 levels, but the pattern is easy to see and expand

Without a proper sequence I defaulted to alphabetical by node.

It also supports multiple root nodes as well

Example

Select A.*
      ,Nodes = concat('/',dense_rank() over (Order By N1),'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1                      Order By N2)-1,0),5)+'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1,N2                   Order By N3)-1,0),5)+'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1,N2,N3                Order By N4)-1,0),5)+'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1,N2,N3,N4             Order By N5)-1,0),5)+'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1,N2,N3,N4,N5          Order By N6)-1,0),5)+'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6       Order By N7)-1,0),5)+'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6,N7    Order By N8)-1,0),5)+'/'
              ,left(nullif(dense_rank() over (Partition By N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6,N7,N8 Order By N9)-1,0),5)+'/'
              )
 From  YourTable A
 Cross Apply (
                Select N1 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[1]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N2 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[2]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N3 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[3]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N4 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[4]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N5 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[5]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N6 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[6]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N7 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[7]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N8 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[8]','varchar(max)')))
                      ,N9 = ltrim(rtrim(xDim.value('/x[9]','varchar(max)')))
                From  (Select Cast('<x>' + replace((Select replace(stuff([canonicalName],1,1,''),'\','§§Split§§') as [*] For XML Path('')),'§§Split§§','</x><x>')+'</x>' as xml) as xDim) as A 
             ) B
 Order By 1

Returns

canonicalName                       Nodes
\domain.com\                        /1/
\domain.com\Corporate               /1/1/
\domain.com\Corporate\Accounting    /1/1/1/
\domain.com\Corporate\Hr            /1/1/2/
\domain.com\Security\               /1/2/
\domain.com\Security\Administrative /1/2/1/
\domain.com\Security\Executive      /1/2/2/
\domain.com\Security\Servers        /1/2/3/
\domain.com\Users\                  /1/3/
\domain.com\Users\Sales             /1/3/1/
\domain.com\Users\Whatever          /1/3/2/