Configure ADI: Manage users, security groups, and passwords in AD

This article provides a step-by-step guide for configuring ADI to manage users, security groups, and passwords in AD (AD to JumpCloud one-way sync). This configuration is typically used when you want to extend AD to the cloud for additional functionality, plan to keep AD as your primary user, group, and password authority, and want minimal changes to your existing AD environment. This configuration supports:

• Syncing data one-way from AD to JumpCloud
• Managing passwords from AD
• Creating, updating, and deactivating users from AD
• Creating and managing JumpCloud ADI user groups from AD
• Managing AD and ADI group membership from AD

Deployment Configuration Overview

• Use ADI import agent only
• Install import agent on all domain controllers (DCs) or on at least 2 member servers
• Add users and security groups under the ADI security group in AD

To explore the use cases and benefits of this configuration, see Manage users, groups, and passwords in AD in the Configure Active Directory Integration (ADI) help center article.

Workflows

AD Import Agent Only – Single Domain Workflow

AD Import Agent Only – Multiple Domain Workflow

To learn more about the general user identity workflow and expected behavior for any user, group, and password change in AD and in JumpCloud read Use and Manage the Active Directory Integration (ADI) . 

System Requirements

• 64-bit Windows Server (versions 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022)
  • Server Core installation is also supported for Windows Server versions 2016, 2019, and 2022. You will need to include the /msiexec parameter when running the agent installer
• 15MB disk space
• 10MB RAM

New Installation Overview

The main steps you will take to install and configure ADI for a one-way sync from AD to JumpCloud are:

1. Determine on which servers the AD import agents will be installed: member servers or domain controllers (DCs).
2. Complete the prerequisite checklist.
3. Determine the Root User Container in AD. 
4. Create the JumpCloud ADI Integration Security Group in AD.
5. Create the AD Import Service Account.
6. Delegate read-only control for the JumpCloud import account.
7. Create an ADI domain instance in JumpCloud.
8. Select your configuration and follow the installation steps and download the import agent
9. Run the the AD Import Agent installation wizard
10. Reboot the servers on which the agent was installed.
11. Verify the Import Agent Service started on each AD server.
12. Complete post-installation AD import agent configuration on each AD server.
13. Verify the AD import.

Considerations

Agent Version Considerations

• As of import agent v2.2.1, the following changes were made:
  • The default location for all agent related installation, configuration, and log files is C:\Program Files\JumpCloud\AD Integration
  • All references to AD Bridge changed to AD Import
  • The jcimport username & password and the API key are stored in the registry instead of the ADI Import Agent configuration file. Both the password and API key are encrypted and the values in the registry are replaced with the encrypted value when the import agent starts
• Import agent v3.0.0 and higher supports delegated user authentication to AD

Member Server Installation Considerations

The following are considerations only if you choose to install the import agents on member servers:

• The AD password does NOT sync from AD to JumpCloud. Users imported and synced from AD will not have a password in JumpCloud

Domain Controller (DC) Installation Considerations

The following are considerations only if you choose to install the import agents on DCs:

• An import agent must be installed on all Domain Controllers
• Downtime should be scheduled. The installation requires a server reboot
• AD passwords will sync from AD to JumpCloud. This means that the password will be managed in AD and stored in both AD and JumpCloud

Security Considerations

• We STRONGLY recommend installing and using LDAPS for the ADI. Configuring and using LDAPS on the Domain Controller that the Jumpcloud ADI agents will connect to secures any sensitive information that is exchanged between the Jumpcloud agents and the Domain Controller and protects against malicious users
• We recommend periodically rotating the password for the server account used by the integration (e.g., jcimport)for security reasons

Agent Upgrade Considerations

• The installation wizard prompts for minimal information when upgrading:
  • Agent connect key, when upgrading from import agent v2.6.0 or lower
  • ADI deployment configuration
  • Prompts for configuring new settings
  • Directory for where the installation should occur
  • Finish screen

Password Considerations

• Users imported and synced from AD to JumpCloud will have their Password Authority set to Active Directory, which means a password cannot be created or changed in JumpCloud by either a JumpCloud Admin or an end-user. The password can only be created and updated in AD

• When the JumpCloud AD import agent is installed on member servers, the AD password does NOT sync to JumpCloud. The password will only be in AD
  • In this configuration, the user’s Password Authority should also be set to Active Directory to prevent a password from being entered in JumpCloud by either a JumpCloud Admin or the end user

• When the JumpCloud AD import agent is installed on all DCs, the AD password does sync from AD to JumpCloud. This means that the password will be saved in both AD and JumpCloud
  • When passwords are imported and synced from AD to JumpCloud:
    • Passwords are still managed in AD
    • Password complexity requirements in AD and JumpCloud should be as closely aligned as possible to avoid passwords being rejected and failing to sync due to not meeting the complexity requirements
    • If you set a password expiration policy in JumpCloud, these users will not receive password expiration notifications automatically
    • Sending password expiration notifications from JumpCloud is not recommended. You can send notifications manually by going to users » select expiring users » resend email
    • Users with their password authority set to Active Directory managed by AD are restricted from changing their password in JumpCloud, with the exception of the link from the password expiration notification

Delegated Authentication Considerations

Review ADI: Use AD Delegated Authentication for specific considerations and more information about delegated authentication to AD. 

General Considerations

• Non-standard ASCII characters are not supported in the Root User DN
• Demoting a DC installation to a member server and promoting a member server installation to a DC aren’t supported.  The agent(s) must be uninstalled first and then installed on the other type of server
• A reinstall of the same ADI import agent is treated as a repair
• Users who are imported from AD to JumpCloud will automatically have their Password Authority set to Active Directory by default and the attributes that sync will be read-only in both the Admin Portal and in User Portal. These fields become restrictedFields
• The JumpCloud ADI import agent services use TLS for all communication. If no network connectivity exists to JumpCloud, the ADI will fail to sync and will not work properly
• ADI Import Agent settings in the jcadimportagent.config.json file control the behaviors that occur in JumpCloud when certain actions are taken on the user in AD
• Importing privileged user accounts, such as Domain Admins and accounts with “adminCount=1”, into JumpCloud from AD or managing them in AD from JumpCloud, isn’t supported

Attributes

The user attributes that sync from AD to JumpCloud are:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Username
• Email

If the SyncAdditionalAttributes setting is true in the jcadimportagent.config.json file, the following attributes are also updated:

• displayname
• description
• JobTitle
• department
• company
• location
• employeeType
• phoneNumbers
• addresses
• manager 

Prerequisite Checklist for New Installations

Before installing the ADI import agents for the first time, complete the following checklist

1. Know your AD Domain Admin credentials.
2. Decide whether you want to install the sync agents on your AD domain’s non-DC Domain Member Servers (member servers) or Domain Controllers (DCs).
   • When installing the import agent on DCs, schedule downtime. Installation requires server reboot! 
3. Verify you have access to all Domain Controllers (DCs) in the AD domain or to the member servers on which you plan to install the import agents.
4. Ensure the servers on which you are installing the import agent are running on a JumpCloud supported 64-bit Windows Server version (2012, 2016, 2019, 2022).
5. Confirm the servers on which you are installing the import agent have networking access to the internet and are able to communicate outbound to console.jumpcloud.com over HTTPS port 443. 
6. If installing the import agents on DCs, schedule Downtime – installation requires a server reboot!
7. Create a dedicated Administrator account in JumpCloud that is specifically for the ADI.

8. Generate and securely store the API key for the ADI dedicated Administration account.
9. Verify all users to be synced from AD to JumpCloud have a value for first name and last name in AD.
10. If you install the import agents on DCs, align password complexity requirements between AD and JumpCloud as closely as possible. Otherwise, passwords may not replicate if they’re rejected by the destination directory’s complexity requirements.
11. [Recommended] Verify all users you plan to import into JumpCloud live in a single OU or are nested underneath a chosen OU (Root user container) in AD. This can be the default CN=Users container in AD or an alternate custom OU in the directory. 
12. Review Advanced Configurations for the Active Directory Import Agent to understand the configuration settings available for the import agent and note any default values that need to be changed as part of the installation. 
13. [STRONGLY recommended] Install LDAPS.

Prepare AD for New Import Agent Installations

This section can be skipped if you are upgrading the import agent.

To import and update user identities, attributes, and user groups from AD into JumpCloud, you'll need to install a JumpCloud AD import agent on your non-DC Domain Member Servers (member servers) or all Domain Controllers (DCs) within your domain.  Complete the steps below to prepare for installing the agents on your servers.

Prepare for the AD Import Agent Installation in AD

Determine the Root User Container in AD

The JumpCloud AD Import agent is designed to integrate with AD’s default ‘Users’ container (CN=Users) which is pre-populated in the AD Users and Computers (ADUC) interface and labeled as “Users” as shown in the following image. (This is a default domain with no custom containers. In this use-case the Root Container is CN=Users;DC=example;DC=com).

The import agent installation wizard assumes that this is the Root User container and uses this path in your AD Import agent configuration file. During installation, you’re prompted for the domain components (DC) used in your AD Domain (i.e., DC=example;DC=com). The installation wizard uses this base level domain information to construct the following Root user container DN (Distinguished Name).

EXAMPLE: CN=Users;DC=example;DC=com

Create the JumpCloud ADI Integration Security Group in AD

A Security Group for the integration must be created within the Root User Container you’ve defined in the previous step. This Security Group is required. Any member of this group will be exported to your JumpCloud tenant.

1. Open the ADUC Menu by clicking Start, typing dsa and clicking the Active Directory Users and Computers icon.
2. Find your Root User Container.
3. Right Click on the Root User Container’s folder and select New > Group.
   • Ensure the Security Group is a Global Security Group
   • Give the Security Group a name that helps identify it as the group used by the ADI (e.g., “JumpCloud” for single domain environments, “JumpCloud (Domain)” for multi-domain environments)
   • Click OK

Create the AD Import Service Account

1. Open the ADUC Menu by clicking Start, typing dsa and clicking the Active Directory Users and Computers icon.
2. Find your Root User Container.
3. Right Click on the Root User Container’s folder and select New > User.

4. Enter the following values for the JumpCloud Import Service Account user:
   • First Name: JumpCloud
   • Last Name Import
   • User logon name: jcimport

5. Enter a password for the jcimport user and ensure that it is set to Never Expire since this will be a service account for the Import Agent.

6. Click Save.

Delegate read-only control for the JumpCloud import account

1. Navigate to the Root User Container in ADUC that you have selected, right-click the container and select Delegate Control. This launches the Delegation of Control Wizard.
2. Click Next.
3. Add the JumpCloud Import Agent account to the Delegation of Control Wizard. 

4. Click Next, then select Read all user information.

5. Click Next, then click Finish at the final screen.

Install the AD Import Agent

Create an ADI domain instance in JumpCloud

This section can be skipped if you are upgrading the import agent.

Create a new ADI domain instance in JumpCloud if one does not already exist

1. Log in to the JumpCloud Admin Portal.
2. Go to Directory Integrations > Active Directory.

3. Click ( + Add ADI Domain )
4. Select Manage users and passwords in Active Directory.

5. Enter the name of an Active Directory domain that you want to integrate with your JumpCloud tenant. For example, “DC=example;DC=com”.

6. Click Save.
7. Click Download Import Agent.
8. The Import Agent installer will automatically save to your local Downloads folder.
9. When the Install Import Agent modal appears, you will be presented with the Import Agent Connect Key. This is the unique one-time use key that is required to connect the Sync Agent to your JumpCloud Org and this AD domain Integration within JumpCloud. You will input this key during the AD Import Agent install in the steps below. Click Copy and save it to a password manager for later use.

10. Save the downloaded installer to the AD servers.

Configure Default External Password Authority

1. Log in to the JumpCloud Admin Portal.
2. Go to Users > Settings.
3. Under the Default External Password Authority > Password Authority, select None (JumpCloud).
4. Click Save.

Install the AD Import Agent on your AD Servers

Now you are ready to install the JumpCloud AD import agent. 

1. Browse to where you saved the AD Import installer file on the server. 
2. Right-click the file, then select Run as administrator.
3. The Install Wizard will start and prompt you to agree to the C++ license terms and conditions.

4. Select the type of server on which you are installing the AD import agent:

5. If you selected Domain Controller, skip to step 9.
6. If you selected Member Server for the server type, provide the FQDN or IP address for that server. We recommend using FQDN.

7. Confirm your LDAP connection type and decide if you want to allow the use of LDAP if the connection using secure LDAP fails.

8. If you checked Allow insecure connection (LDAP) to a Domain Controller, if secure connection fails, you must confirm that you understand the risk before you can proceed.

9. Enter the jcimport account and password, then click Next. Be sure to use the NetBIOS domain format and not the full DNS name. (For example, example\jcimport and the user password).

10. Enter the import agent connect key, then click Next.

11. Select your ADI deployment configuration

12. Answer the question about whether you already have a sync agent installed

13. Enter the security group DN
    • If you answered yes to the question about having a sync agent installed

• If you answered no

14. Select whether to sync the lock status from AD to JumpCloud. Choose "Yes, sync (true)" if you want to sync the lock status.
    • If you answered yes to the question about having a sync agent installed, you will see

• If you answered no, you will see

15. Select whether your want to sync the additional attributes. Choose "Yes, sync (true)" if you want to sync the additional attributes.

16. Select the installation directory

17. Click Install. The import agent will take about 1 to 2 minutes to install.

18. Select Yes, restart the computer now. If Google Workspace Password Sync (GSPS) is installed or further changes are needed, select No, I will restart the computer later.
19. Click Finish.

Adjust LSA Notification Packages for GSPS Compatibility

If Google Workspace Password Sync (GSPS) is installed on your AD server, you must adjust a registry setting to ensure its continued operation after the JumpCloud ADI import agent installation.

1. Open Registry Editor:
   • Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to LSA Key:
   • Go to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
3. Modify Notification Packages:
   • In the right pane, double-click the Notification Packages value.
   • Locate passwordsync_dll within the "Value data" box.
   • Carefully cut passwordsync_dll from its current position and paste it at the very end of the list. Each item should remain on its own line.
   • Click OK.

4. Restart your AD server for the changes to take effect.

Verify the JumpCloud AD Import Agent Service Started

Once your DC restarted, verify that the service started by confirming display name: “JumpCloud AD Import Agent” ; service name: “JCADImportAgent”; is running in services.msc. If the service fails to start, you can review the agent logs at C:\Program Files\JumpCloud\AD Integration\JumpCloud_AD_Import.log.

Configure AD Import Agent

There are several configuration options that you should implement post-installation of the AD import agent. The recommended configuration updates are: 

• Modify the UserTakeoverAction setting to retain.
• Modify the UserDisableAction setting to unbind
• Modify the UserDissociateAction setting to unbind

You can further customize the import process and define behaviors in JumpCloud based on actions in AD by adjusting other advanced configuration settings. See Advanced Configurations for AD Import for more information.

Modify the settings

1. Search for a text file editor (e.g., Notepad)
2. Right-click and select “Run as administrator”
3. Select File>Open
4. Navigate to the location of the jcadimportagent.config.json file (The default location is C:\Program Files\JumpCloud\AD Integration\JumpCloud AD Import)
5. Select Open
6. Change the UserTakeoverAction value to retain
7. Change UserDisableAction value to unbind
8. Change UserDissociateAction value to unbind
9. Change any other settings to customize the import behaviors

Save the configuration changes and restart the AD import agent service

Once all configuration changes have been made save them and restart the service.

1. Restart the JumpCloud AD Import Agent service using the Windows Service Manager.
2. Save the jcadimportagent.config.json file.

Verify AD Import

Once you’ve installed and configured AD Import within your environment, you can easily verify that the JumpCloud AD Import Agent is working. Please ensure the following are present and visible: The JumpCloud AD Import Agent should be shown as green and active within the Admin Portal under Directory Integrations > Active Directory > Your ADI Instance > Domain Agents section.

• JumpCloud User Group is now within your JumpCloud organization. The JumpCloud User Group should have a User Group icon with an AD badge in the User Group Details pane. See the example below:
  • Navigate to User Management > User Groups. You should see the JumpCloud User Group with a Microsoft badge next to it. Click on the User Group to open up its details.

• When opened, you can see that the User Group has a Microsoft Badge and is also assigned to AD on the Directories tab.

Next Steps

Please read the Using and Managing the ADI article next.

Want additional assistance from JumpCloud? 

If you’re having issues with getting JumpCloud’s ADI working, try the Troubleshooting Guide.

JumpCloud offers myriad professional services offerings to assist customers with implementing and configuring JumpCloud. If you’re looking for assistance with Migrating from AD, or to integrate AD with JumpCloud, we recommend you reach out to JumpCloud’s Professional Services team on the following page: Professional Services - JumpCloud.