Get User profile using Console App- Object reference error at Server context

Today I was trying to retrieve user profiles properties using a console application. Its a very simple application just pulls some metadata from the userprofilesmanager. Previously I have get and set profile properties in my SharePoint application many times. Thought it would be a piece of cake for me. Not though.

This is the code I have written in the program.cs. But to my surprise I was getting object reference error. I was thinking that url might be the wrong thing. But its not.


            SPSite site = new SPSite("http://suresh-pc:100/default.aspx");
            ServerContext context = ServerContext.GetContext(site);
            UserProfileManager upm = new UserProfileManager(context);
            UserProfile profile = upm.GetUserProfile("moss/suresh");

This error is a misleading one. You dont have permission to pull data from User Profile Service application basically.

Go to Central Admin- Manage Service applications- Click User Profile Service Application(click the row not the link).- In the ribbon select Manage Permmissions

Provide full permission for the user trying to access the User profile manager.

Build the application and run again.