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
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
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