# \[null-valued setting found for key \[xpack.security.authc.realms.active\_directory\]

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/null-valued-setting-found-for-key-xpack-security-authc-realms-active-directory/270309>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** elastic-stack-security\
**Created:** [April 15, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/null-valued-setting-found-for-key-xpack-security-authc-realms-active-directory/270309 "2021-04-15T21:28:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hubertn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@hubertn](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/hubertn)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/null-valued-setting-found-for-key-xpack-security-authc-realms-active-directory/270309/1 "2021-04-15T21:28:48Z")

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set active\_directory security in elasticsearch.yml. After setting up xpack configuration in the yml file, Elastic service did not start anymore, it indicates that the [null-valued setting found for the active\_directory settings. Not sure if there is something missing here.

I also try to use journalctrl to get more info but there is no other error messages to indicate what is the source of the error.

I am upgrading from 6.8.3 to 7.12.

Here is the setting for 7.12 version:

xpack:  
security:  
authc:  
realms:  
active\_directory:  
mydomain:  
order: 0  
url: "ldaps://mydomain.otpp.com:111"  
... oher settings here...

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**Author:** ![ikakavas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ikakavas/32/34430_2.png) [@ikakavas](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ikakavas)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 5:38am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/null-valued-setting-found-for-key-xpack-security-authc-realms-active-directory/270309/2 "2021-04-16T05:38:54Z")

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Please add your entire active directory realm section and keep formatting. Formatting in YAML is important so we need to know if you have it wrong in your elasticsearch.yml or you just copied it wrong here.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hubertn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@hubertn](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/hubertn)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 1:41pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/null-valued-setting-found-for-key-xpack-security-authc-realms-active-directory/270309/3 "2021-04-22T13:41:39Z")

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It was an issue with the formatting of the yml file. such as, my domain was not indented properly. After this fix, everything works correctly.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/null-valued-setting-found-for-key-xpack-security-authc-realms-active-directory/270309/4 "2021-05-20T13:42:05Z")

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