Getting User Profile information in a mixed authenticated web application (Claims Based)

If you ever needed to get user information, in a claims based authenticated web application (mixed authentication), by using the web service method: GetUserProfileByName in InfoPath, (actually, it’s the only method you can use, because all the other possible ways, and even the managed code behind in InfoPath, they all work in the client mode, but never on the browser!!!!!! since querying user profiles directly, in a mixed authenticated web app isn’t possible!! it always give you the “unauthorized” error logged whenever u try to run in from the browser!)

So, here’s what you gotta do:

1.       You have to have a web application with Classic mode authentication only in your farm, suppose this is its url: http://sp:4444/  

2.       Create a new Data Connection Library in the site that hosts your InfoPath form (it’s a type of SharePoint library that stores connection files, with a .udcx extension: these files are usually used for cross-domain data connections.)

3.       In your InfoPath form, Add a “Receiving Data” connection – From a SOAP service – point it to the url of the user profiles service, in the Classic authenticated web application (e.g.: http://sp:4444/_vti_bin/UserProfileService.asmx), name it: GetUserProfileByName.

4.       In the same Data Connections wizard, select the data connection:  GetUserProfileByName, and click on : “Convert to connection file”, and type-in the url of your data connection library, and give a name for your data connection file (e.g.: http://sp:2012/DataConnectionLibrary/GetUserProfileByName.udcx)

5.       Go to the DataConnectionLibrary to make sure the new connection file has been added, download a copy of It, and edit it to add/update the following tag:

<udc:Authentication>

                <udc:UseExplicit CredentialType="NTLM">

                <udc:UserId>domain\adminUserName</udc:UserId>

                <udc:Password>password</udc:Password>

                </udc:UseExplicit>

</udc:Authentication>

6.       Add the updated .udcx file back to the data connections library, then click on the arrow next to the item’s Name to Approve it.

Now your data connection to the User Profiles service is ready to be used in the form, both on the client form and the browser form!

NB: This experience was taken from my colleague Malek El Zeeni