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Azure AD Connect Tutorial

Introduction

Azure AD Connect is a Microsoft tool designed to meet and accomplish your hybrid identity goals. It provides a common interface for connecting your on-premises directories with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). By using Azure AD Connect, you can provide a common identity for your users for Office 365, Azure, and SaaS applications integrated with Azure AD.

Prerequisites

Before setting up Azure AD Connect, ensure you have the following:

  • Windows Server (2012 R2 or later).
  • Azure AD Global Administrator account.
  • Enterprise Administrator account for your on-premises Active Directory.

Installing Azure AD Connect

To install Azure AD Connect, follow these steps:

  1. Download Azure AD Connect from the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Run the installer and accept the license terms.
  3. Select "Express Settings" for a quick setup or "Customize" for a more detailed configuration.

Example: Launching the Azure AD Connect installer:

setup.exe

Configuring Azure AD Connect

Once Azure AD Connect is installed, you need to configure it to sync your on-premises directories with Azure AD. Here's how:

  1. Open Azure AD Connect and choose "Customize" to configure custom settings.
  2. Specify your on-premises Active Directory and Azure AD credentials.
  3. Choose the synchronization options that best suit your needs (e.g., Password Hash Synchronization, Pass-through Authentication, Federation).
  4. Complete the wizard to start the synchronization process.

Verifying Synchronization

After setting up Azure AD Connect, verify that synchronization is working correctly:

  1. Open the Synchronization Service Manager from the Start Menu.
  2. Check the status of recent sync cycles to ensure there are no errors.
  3. Verify that user accounts and groups are being synchronized to Azure AD.

Example: Checking sync status using PowerShell:

Get-ADSyncScheduler
AllowedSyncCycleInterval            : 00:30:00
CurrentlyEffectiveSyncCycleInterval : 00:30:00
CustomizedSyncCycleInterval         : 
NextSyncCyclePolicyType             : Delta
NextSyncCycleStartTimeInUTC         : 4/1/2023 3:30:00 PM
PurgeRunHistoryInterval             : 7.00:00:00
SyncCycleEnabled                    : True

Advanced Options

Azure AD Connect offers several advanced options to enhance your synchronization setup:

  • Filtering: Include or exclude specific objects from synchronization based on various criteria.
  • Staging Mode: Set up a secondary server to test configuration changes without affecting the primary server.
  • Azure AD Connect Health: Monitor the health of your synchronization and identity infrastructure.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with Azure AD Connect, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

  • Check event logs on the server running Azure AD Connect for error messages.
  • Use the Azure AD Connect troubleshooting tool to diagnose common issues.
  • Refer to the official documentation for detailed troubleshooting guidance.

Conclusion

Azure AD Connect is a powerful tool for synchronizing your on-premises directories with Azure Active Directory, enabling a unified identity for your users across various platforms. By following this tutorial, you should be able to set up and configure Azure AD Connect effectively, ensuring seamless hybrid identity management.