{"id":13306,"date":"2023-05-29T08:07:17","date_gmt":"2023-05-29T12:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jumpcloud.com\/?p=13251"},"modified":"2024-12-03T13:48:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T18:48:27","slug":"can-i-replace-ad-with-azure-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/can-i-replace-ad-with-azure-ad","title":{"rendered":"Can I Replace Active Directory with Azure AD? No, Here\u2019s Why."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s very common for IT admins to ask, \u201cCan I replace Microsoft Active Directory<\/a> with Azure Active Directory (now currently named Entra ID<\/a>)?\u201d That\u2019s especially true when the bulk of modern IT environments reside in or are migrating to the cloud. Microsoft even offers incentives to migrate your core directory to its latest services. However, Azure AD isn\u2019t a replacement for AD alone, and the services you\u2019d require to achieve parity may not be the optimal stack for your organization. Choosing to consolidate with Microsoft has downstream impacts that affect your organization\u2019s budget, security, and freedom of choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article outlines how AD and Azure AD differ and what options organizations have for modernization as they make the transition away from AD as their sole directory. For instance, Google and JumpCloud have joined together to offer an alternative solution. Many organizations find themselves at this inflection point and may not realize that Microsoft doesn\u2019t have to remain central to identity and device management. In essence, migrating to Azure AD is similar to adopting another platform than AD. It just happens to be Microsoft\u2019s path to retain its AD customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s begin by examining what Azure AD is, and why it\u2019s not a direct replacement for AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azure AD vs. Active Directory: What\u2019s the Difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft\u2019s Azure Active Directory is a cloud directory<\/a> that underpins Microsoft 365 (M365) subscription services. It\u2019s used to configure access to software as a service (SaaS) and on-premises applications, and it\u2019s a requirement to access productivity, IT management, and security services. Azure has different subscription levels that gate off its capabilities; certain Microsoft services have dependencies on its Premium service tiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those include Intune for endpoint management as well as components that will synchronize AD instances with Active Directory. Other features, like LDAP and RADIUS, still aren\u2019t cloud resident and require a hybrid setup with AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Major differences will quickly become evident to admins. Familiar concepts such as GPOs are replaced by Intune and Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which again, are separate services. Organizational units are replaced by another model called administrative units, and nested groups<\/a> are a legacy concept. Cloud directories have a flat hierarchical model where permissions are assigned to individual groups and users, either explicitly or implicitly or through automations<\/a> that leverage user attributes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its access control model is based around securing assets<\/a> versus a traditional network perimeter with AD. As such, Azure AD utilizes different protocols and more modern means of authentication and authorization, and it\u2019s central to Microsoft\u2019s architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Note:<\/strong> \n

Read why nested groups don\u2019t exist in the cloud<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

AD and Azure AD Aren\u2019t the Same Thing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft won\u2019t add modern identity and access management (IAM) features to AD. It remains an on-prem directory that enables IT departments to create and manage user accounts, create and enforce security policies, and control access to resources on corporate networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, Azure AD works differently and uses different technologies. It\u2019s a separate platform that can lock customers into a new Microsoft ecosystem. Significantly, new technologies that Microsoft created to modernize and secure AD aren\u2019t available without it, and it\u2019s rarely purchased alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Note:<\/strong> \n

Learn more about how Microsoft\u2019s access models have changed, specifically, and why Active Directory modernization is imminent<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Microsoft-Centric Model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft\u2019s path to a modernized cloud architecture can be unwieldy and expensive: admins can be confronted with complex licensing schemes, lack of choice, and difficult implementations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The permutations of products and challenges of migrating from Active Directory to the cloud have given rise to a cottage industry<\/a> of consultants for implementation and planning. The breadth of configurations and options may be fitting for enterprises that have considerable resources to support deployments. Understand that one price doesn\u2019t mean \u201cintegrated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An IT team may feel as if it\u2019s consolidating its infrastructure with Azure AD, but it\u2019s really just shifting from one multi-product solution to another. Each component of M365 has its own sprawl of challenges and complexities, as well as operational, support, and security considerations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Costs will increase when small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are pulled deeper into the Azure platform and require interoperability with directories that fall outside of the Microsoft ecosystem. For example, SMEs may have to pay more for Azure AD Governance SKU licenses when working with external collaborators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to end up with significant resources allocated into configuration, deployment, and training for many Microsoft\u2019s products. The larger an organization gets, the more it matters. This can become unmanageable and lead to unexpected burdens on IT departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Security and costs go hand-in-hand in this new ecosystem. Microsoft has been accused of monetizing AD\u2019s legacy status<\/a> and security flaws. Azure AD is the entryway into an identity monoculture where detecting and preventing lateral movement by attackers requires many services. These services are recommended in its deference architecture, but aren\u2019t included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n