Azure AD Connect Best Practices
Introduction
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Connect is a critical component for synchronizing on-premises identity data to Azure AD. Implementing best practices ensures a smooth, secure, and efficient synchronization process. This document outlines key recommendations for managing your Azure AD Connect deployment.
Planning and Prerequisites
- Dedicated Server: Install Azure AD Connect on a dedicated server. Do not install it on a domain controller or a server running other critical applications.
- Service Account Permissions: Use a Group Managed Service Account (gMSA) for the Azure AD Connect service account whenever possible. This provides enhanced security and simplifies password management. If a gMSA is not feasible, a dedicated domain user account with appropriate permissions is required.
- Domain and Forest Functional Levels: Ensure your on-premises Active Directory domain and forest meet the minimum functional level requirements specified by Microsoft.
- Network Connectivity: Verify that the server hosting Azure AD Connect can reach the necessary Azure AD endpoints and on-premises domain controllers.
- Schema Extensions: Understand and plan for any custom schema extensions you might be using, as they can impact synchronization.
Installation and Configuration
The installation wizard offers several configuration options. Carefully choose the appropriate settings for your environment:
- Express Settings vs. Custom: For most environments, Custom installation is recommended to allow for granular control over synchronization rules, OUs, and attributes.
- Filtering: Implement OU-based filtering to synchronize only the necessary objects. Avoid synchronizing the entire directory if not required.
- Attribute Selection: Select only the attributes that are essential for your applications and services.
- Password Hash Synchronization (PHS) vs. Pass-through Authentication (PTA): PHS is generally recommended for its simplicity and resilience. PTA can be used if organizational policies require it.
- Federation: If using federation, ensure your Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) infrastructure is properly configured and highly available.
Synchronization Best Practices
- Staging Mode: Utilize staging mode during initial setup or major configuration changes. This allows you to review the synchronization results without actually writing them to Azure AD.
- Synchronization Rules: Understand the default synchronization rules and how to create custom rules when necessary. Always test custom rules thoroughly.
- Attribute Flow: Carefully manage attribute flow to prevent unintended data overwrites or synchronization errors.
- Regular Synchronization Cycles: Configure synchronization cycles to run at appropriate intervals (default is 30 minutes). Monitor these cycles for errors.
- Object Naming Conventions: Ensure consistent and predictable naming conventions for your on-premises objects to avoid duplicate or conflicting entries.
Tip: Regularly review the synchronization logs in the Synchronization Service Manager for any errors or warnings.
Monitoring and Health
- Azure AD Connect Health: Deploy and configure Azure AD Connect Health for monitoring. This provides alerts for synchronization errors, agent issues, and performance bottlenecks.
- Alerts and Notifications: Configure email notifications for critical alerts within Azure AD Connect Health.
- Regular Audits: Periodically audit your Azure AD Connect configuration and synchronization results.
Security Considerations
- Least Privilege: Ensure the service account used by Azure AD Connect has only the necessary permissions.
- Server Hardening: Apply standard server hardening practices to the Azure AD Connect server, including regular patching and security configuration.
- Network Security: Restrict network access to the Azure AD Connect server to only authorized management workstations and domain controllers.
- Backup: Regularly back up the Azure AD Connect configuration.
Troubleshooting
Common troubleshooting steps include:
- Reviewing the Synchronization Service Manager logs.
- Using the IdFix tool to identify and remediate identity data quality issues in your on-premises directory.
- Checking network connectivity to Azure AD endpoints and domain controllers.
- Verifying service account credentials and permissions.
By adhering to these best practices, you can optimize your Azure AD Connect deployment for reliability, security, and performance.