diff --git a/sandbox/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/dao/ldap/InitialDirContextFactoryBean.java b/sandbox/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/dao/ldap/InitialDirContextFactoryBean.java
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/sandbox/src/main/java/org/acegisecurity/providers/dao/ldap/InitialDirContextFactoryBean.java
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+package net.sf.acegisecurity.providers.dao.ldap;
+
+import java.util.Hashtable;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import javax.naming.AuthenticationException;
+import javax.naming.Context;
+import javax.naming.NamingException;
+import javax.naming.directory.InitialDirContext;
+import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessResourceFailureException;
+
+/**
+ * Convient base class and/or bean which can be used to create DirContext objects.
+ * Many user's will only need to set to Url property. 
+ * 
+ * <p>
+ * Eample: <br/>
+ *  <bean id="initialDirContextFactoryBean"
+ *      class="net.sf.acegisecurity.providers.dao.ldap.InitialDirContextFactoryBean">     <br/>
+ *      <property name="url"><value>ldap://myserver.com:389/</value></property>           <br/>
+ *      <property name="managerUser"><value>cn=UserWithSearchPermissions,dc=mycompany,dc=com</value></property>  <br/>
+ *      <property name="managerPassword"><value>PasswordForUser</value></property>        <br/>
+ *  </bean>  <br/>
+ * </p> 
+ * 
+ * 
+ * @see http://java.sun.com/products/jndi/tutorial/ldap/connect/config.html
+ * 
+ * @author robert.sanders
+ *
+ */
+public class InitialDirContextFactoryBean {
+    
+    /**
+     * LDAP URL (with or without the port) of the LDAP server to connect to. 
+     * <p>Example: <br/>
+     *     <b>ldap://dir.mycompany.com:389/dc=mycompany,dc=com</b>  <br/>  
+     *    <small>(port 389 is the standard LDAP port).  </small>
+     * </p>
+     */
+    private String url;
+        
+    /** If your LDAP server does not allow anonymous searches then 
+     *  you will need to provide a username with which to login with;
+     *  this is that username.
+     */
+    private String managerUser;
+    
+    /** If your LDAP server does not allow anonymous searches then 
+     *  you will need to provide a username with which to login with;
+     *  this is the password of that user.
+     */
+    private String managerPassword;
+    
+    /** Type of authentication within LDAP; default is simple. */
+    private String authenticationType = "simple";
+    
+    /** The INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY used to create the JNDI Factory.
+     *  Default is "com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory"; you <b>should not</b>
+     *  need to set this unless you have unusual needs.
+     **/
+    private String initialContextFactory = "com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory";
+
+    /** Allows extra environment variables to be added at config time. */
+    private Map extraEnvVars = null;
+    
+    /** Use the LDAP Connection pool (in SUN JVMs)?; if true, then the 
+     *  LDAP environment property "com.sun.jndi.ldap.connect.pool" is added 
+     *  to any other JNDI properties. 
+     *  @see http://java.sun.com/products/jndi/tutorial/ldap/connect/pool.html 
+     *  @see http://java.sun.com/products/jndi/tutorial/ldap/connect/config.html
+     */
+    private boolean connectionPoolEnabled = true;
+    
+    public InitialDirContext newInitialDirContext(String username, String password) throws AuthenticationException, DataAccessResourceFailureException {
+    	Hashtable env = getEnvironment();
+    	if (null != username) {
+    		env.put(Context.SECURITY_PRINCIPAL, username);
+    	}
+    	if (null != password) {
+    		env.put(Context.SECURITY_CREDENTIALS, password);
+    	}
+    	try {
+            return new InitialDirContext(env);
+    	} catch (AuthenticationException ax) {
+    		throw ax;	// just pass it right on.
+        } catch (NamingException nx) {
+        	// any other JNDI exception:
+            throw new DataAccessResourceFailureException("Unable to connect to LDAP Server; check managerUser and managerPassword.", nx);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    /** Returns a new InitialDirContext using the provided managerUser and managerPassword (if provided) as credentials. 
+     * @throws AuthenticationException */
+    public InitialDirContext newInitialDirContext() throws DataAccessResourceFailureException, AuthenticationException {
+        return newInitialDirContext(managerUser, managerPassword);
+    }
+    
+    /** 
+     * @return The Hashtable describing the base DirContext that will be created; minus the username/password if any.
+     */
+    protected Hashtable getEnvironment() {
+        Hashtable env = new Hashtable(11);
+        env.put(Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY, initialContextFactory);
+        env.put(Context.PROVIDER_URL, url);
+        env.put(Context.SECURITY_AUTHENTICATION, authenticationType);
+        if (connectionPoolEnabled) {
+            env.put("com.sun.jndi.ldap.connect.pool", "true");
+        }
+        if ((extraEnvVars != null) && (extraEnvVars.size() > 0)) {
+            env.putAll(extraEnvVars);
+        }
+        return env;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * @return Returns the authenticationType.
+     */
+    public String getAuthenticationType() {
+        return authenticationType;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param authenticationType The authenticationType to set.
+     */
+    public void setAuthenticationType(String authenticationType) {
+        this.authenticationType = authenticationType;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return Returns the initialContextFactory.
+     */
+    public String getInitialContextFactory() {
+        return initialContextFactory;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param initialContextFactory The initialContextFactory to set.
+     */
+    public void setInitialContextFactory(String initialContextFactory) {
+        this.initialContextFactory = initialContextFactory;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return Password (if any) of the user named by the managerUser property.
+     */
+    public String getManagerPassword() {
+        return managerPassword;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param managerPassword Password (if any) of the user named by the managerUser property.
+     */
+    public void setManagerPassword(String managerPassword) {
+        this.managerPassword = managerPassword;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return Name of the user (typically a fully qualified DN) which 
+     *   will be used to authenticate with the LDAP server when initiating LDAP connections.
+     */
+    public String getManagerUser() {
+        return managerUser;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * For OpenLDAP this might be "cn=Manager,dc=mycompany,dc=com"; 
+     *   because this user typically <b>only</b> needs to be able to search/read 
+     *   the contexts against which LDAP operations occur, you may wish 
+     *   to create an account with read-only settings for this purpose.
+     * <p>
+     *  If this property is not set, then the default behavor is 
+     *  to connect to the LDAP server anonymously.
+     * </p>
+     * 
+     * 
+     * @param managerUser Name of the user (typically a fully qualified DN) which 
+     *   will be used to authenticate with the LDAP server when initiating LDAP connections.
+     */
+    public void setManagerUser(String managerUser) {
+        this.managerUser = managerUser;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return The URL of the LDAP host to connect to, including port (if non-default), 
+     * 		and the base DN from which other operations will be relative to.
+     */
+    public String getUrl() {
+        return url;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * LDAP URL (with or without the port) of the LDAP server to connect to. 
+     * <p>Example: <br/>
+     *     <b>ldap://dir.mycompany.com:389/dc=mycompany,dc=com</b>  <br/>  
+     *    <small>(port 389 is the standard LDAP port) </small> so the example above could also be: <br/>
+     *     <b>ldap://dir.mycompany.com/dc=mycompany,dc=com</b>  <br/>
+     * </p>
+     * 
+     *
+     * @param url The URL of the LDAP host to connect to, including port (if non-default), 
+     * 		and the base DN from which other operations will be relative to. 
+     */
+    public void setUrl(String url) {
+        this.url = url;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @return Allows extra environment variables to be added at config time.
+     */
+    public Map getExtraEnvVars() {
+        return extraEnvVars;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param extraEnvVars Allows extra environment variables to be added at config time.
+     */
+    public void setExtraEnvVars(Map extraEnvVars) {
+        this.extraEnvVars = extraEnvVars;
+    }
+    
+}