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Applies to BloodHound Enterprise and CE

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Version Requirements

Full OpenGraph support requires a PostgreSQL graph backend and one of the following editions:
  • BloodHound Enterprise (uses PostgreSQL)
  • BloodHound CE v8.0.0+ with PostgreSQL
    • To switch backends in CE, set "graph_driver": "pg" in bloodhound.config.json and re‑ingest.
Note: While many OpenGraph features may work on a Neo4j graph database, there are functional and performance limitations (see the OpenGraph FAQ). For full support, migrate to a PostgreSQL graph database backend.

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Graph Requirements

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Requirement 1: Universally Unique Node Identifiers

Every node in a BloodHound database must have a universally unique identifier to distinguish it from every other node. You must identify the source and format of that identifier. We previously used UPN-formatted names for identifiers in BloodHound (e.g.: “DOMAIN ADMINS@CONTOSO.COM”). Surprise surprise, UPNs are not guaranteed to be universally unique. We now use SIDs instead for universally unique identifiers for most Active Directory principals. One of the best universally unique identifiers is a GUID. Does the entity you are modeling have a GUID? If so, great! If not, you’re going to need to find something else. Examples of bad identifiers:
  • Usernames
  • Email addresses
  • Hostnames
  • IDs that start at “0” and increment from there
Examples of good identifiers:
  • GUIDs
  • SIDs
  • Certificate thumbprints
Think: how does the system itself differentiate between these objects? In many (but certainly not all) cases, you may do well to identify your nodes the same way the system uniquely identifies its objects.

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Requirement 2: Distinct Node and Edge Classes

If you are modeling a new system not currently modeled by BloodHound, your nodes and edges must have distinct classes that do not overlap with existing BloodHound node and edge classes. Sorry, but “MemberOf” is already taken, so you will need to use a different edge class when modeling group memberships in Okta, Zoho, AWS, or whatever else. Same with all the other existing node and edge classes which can be found here:

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Requirement 3: Your Model Must Connect Non-Adjacent Nodes with Paths

If your graph model does not create paths connecting non-adjacent nodes, you should be using a relational database, not a graph database. You are using the wrong tool for the job!

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Requirement 4: Edge Names and Allowed Characters

Edge names may only contain alphanumeric characters and underscores (_). For readability, we recommend PascalCase, a naming convention where compound words are written without spaces and each word starts with an uppercase letter (e.g., MemberOf, GenericAll).
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