Unable to Connect to SQL Server Using ActiveDirectoryPassword Authentication

Question

Encountering an issue while trying to connect to SQL Server using ActiveDirectoryPassword authentication. The error message states: "Failed to load MSAL4J Java library for performing ActiveDirectoryPassword authentication."
For Info -> I am giving the sql server driver at runtime to the application and it works fine for sql server authentication but not for Active Directory Password.

The following steps have been taken:

1. Added the MSAL4J dependency in pom.xml, but it did not resolve the issue.
2. Attempted to load the MSAL4J dependency at runtime before establishing the JDBC connection, but this approach also failed.

Any insights or solutions to address this error would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Sorry for late reply.
Database is sql server and hosted on on-premise.

Answer 2

Hi @Akash Narvaria,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Platform! Thank you for asking your question here.

We would like to inform you that, This issue typically arises when the MSAL4J library is either missing from the runtime classpath or fails to initialize correctly for Active Directory authentication, even if the SQL Server JDBC driver is correctly provided at runtime.

Ensure MSAL4J is correctly loaded and compatible with your runtime setup using below mentioned troubleshooting steps:

1. Confirm Dependency Scope and Version: In your pom.xml, ensure that the MSAL4J dependency is included with the appropriate scope and verify that the MSAL4J version is compatible with the SQL Server JDBC driver version you are using.

<dependency>

<groupId>com.microsoft.azure</groupId>

<artifactId>msal4j</artifactId>

<version>1.11.0</version> <!-- Use the latest stable version -->

</dependency>

2. Verify Dependency Inclusion at Runtime: Since you are adding the SQL Server driver at runtime, ensure that the MSAL4J library is also explicitly included in the classpath at runtime. Double-check any classpath configurations or packaging steps to confirm MSAL4J is available when the application launches.
3. Test Loading MSAL4J Before Authentication: Write a simple test in your application to load a class from MSAL4J (Ex: PublicClientApplication.class) before initiating the SQL Server connection. This ensures that MSAL4J is indeed available in the runtime environment. If you encounter a ClassNotFoundException, it indicates MSAL4J isn't on the runtime classpath.
4. Include Dependencies in JAR/Package: If you are packaging the application into a JAR, confirm that MSAL4J and its transitive dependencies are included in the packaged JAR. Use the mvn dependency:tree command to confirm that there are no missing dependencies or version conflicts.
5. Use Classpath Dependency Injection (as a Test): As a temporary measure, try adding the MSAL4J dependency directly to the runtime classpath to see if the issue resolves. For example, when starting the application, specify the path to MSAL4J like so,

java -cp "path/to/msal4j.jar:path/to/sqljdbc42.jar:path/to/your-app.jar" com.your.MainApp

6. Review Logging (Optional): Set up detailed logging in your application to capture class loading or dependency resolution issues related to MSAL4J. This can help pinpoint where the load failure occurs. After confirming MSAL4J is on the runtime classpath and the steps above, try re-running the connection setup with Active Directory authentication.

Note: Use azure-identity version 1.7.0 or later to utilize token caching support for managed identity authentication.

Please refer to the below mentioned links for more information.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/java/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-java-stable

https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-java/blob/azure-identity_1.14.1/sdk/identity/azure-identity/TOKEN_CACHING.md

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/jdbc/download-microsoft-jdbc-driver-for-sql-server?view=sql-server-ver16

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/sql/database-engine/connect/jdbc-config-troubleshoot?source=recommendations

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/jdbc/connecting-using-azure-active-directory-authentication?view=sql-server-ver16&source=recommendations

I hope, This response will address your query and helped you to overcome on your challenges.

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