Azure AD Connect Sync Service Not Running Troubleshooting and Resolution

If the Azure AD Connect Sync Service is not running, it's essential to troubleshoot the issue promptly to avoid synchronization problems and potential security risks.

The Sync Service might not start if the Microsoft Identity Platform (Azure AD) is not configured correctly.

Make sure you've installed the Azure AD Connect tool and followed the installation instructions carefully.

Ensure that the Azure AD Connect service account has sufficient permissions to access the Azure AD tenant.

A common issue is that the service account might not have the necessary permissions to access the Azure AD Graph API.

Troubleshooting Azure AD Connect sync issues can be a real challenge, but let's break it down into manageable steps.

First, it's essential to detect any user principal name (UPN) mismatches if the object is synced to Azure AD.

A mismatched UPN can cause all sorts of problems, so make sure to check for this issue first.

If the object is synced to Azure AD, check whether it's filtered due to domain filtering.

Domain filtering can prevent objects from syncing, so this is an important step to investigate.

Also, check whether the object is filtered due to organizational unit (OU) filtering.

OU filtering can be a common cause of syncing issues, so be sure to check this.

Another potential issue is if the object sync is blocked due to a linked mailbox.

This can prevent the object from syncing, so check for this issue as well.

Finally, check whether the object is in a dynamic distribution group that isn't intended to be synced.

This can also prevent the object from syncing, so make sure to check for this issue.

Here are the potential issues to investigate:

For more detailed information on troubleshooting object synchronization with Azure AD Connect sync, refer to the Microsoft article.

To get started with Azure AD Connect, you'll need to download and install the software, which can be done from the Azure Portal or by going directly to the software package.

You can download the software from the Azure Portal, but it's also available for direct download from the package.

The first step in getting Azure AD Connect up and running is to install the software, which will sync your on-prem Active Directory to your Azure AD tenant.

To start the installation process, you'll need to download and install the Azure AD connect software. You can get it from the Azure Portal or by going directly to the software package.

The installation process offers two options: Express and Custom Install. Express is the default and most common choice, but you can review the lists to help you decide which one is best for you.

First, you'll need to download the software. You can get it from the Azure Portal or by going directly to the software package. This will start the installation process.

The Express install is the default and most common choice, but it's worth considering the Custom Install option if you need more flexibility.

If you're having trouble waiting for the standard 30-minute Office 365 AD sync interval, you can force a sync using PowerShell commands.

You'll need to import the ADSync PowerShell module to get started. This module is usually installed with the Azure AD Connect tool.

The Azure AD Connect tool is a great resource for managing Office 365 AD sync settings. You can use it to check your current sync settings with the command Get-ADSyncScheduler.

If you need to sync only the changes made since the previous sync, use the command Start-ADSyncSyncCycle -PolicyType Delta. This will do a delta sync, which is faster but won't update all data.

For a full sync that updates all data, use the command Start-ADSyncSyncCycle -PolicyType Initial. This will take a bit longer but will ensure everything is up to date.

If you want to change the sync interval to something like 10 minutes, you can use the command Set-ADSyncScheduler -CustomizedSyncCycleInterval 00:10:00.

The Azure AD Connect sync service not running is a frustrating issue, but there are ways to troubleshoot and get it back up and running.

To start, you'll want to check the sync status using PowerShell. This requires the MSOnline module to be installed.

To see the current settings, open up a PowerShell console on the server Azure Active Directory Connect is installed on and run Get-ADSyncScheduler. You’ll see a few properties each providing useful information.

Here are some key properties to look at:

The NextSyncCyclePolicyType defines the next run what the next run should process, and the NextSyncCycleStartTimeInUTC shows the time the scheduler starts the next sync cycle.

Forcing the Azure AD Connect sync service can be a bit tricky, but it's essential to get it working properly. You can force a synchronization of your objects using the Synchronization Service Manager or PowerShell.

To use the Synchronization Service Manager, navigate to the Start menu, select AD Connect, and then Synchronization Service. You'll see the Connectors tab and the right-hand selection pane, where you can stop or start the sync.

When a synchronization cycle is running, you can't make configuration changes, but stopping the current cycle is harmless and pending changes will be processed with the next run.

You can also use PowerShell to force a synchronization. You can choose between a full sync or a delta sync. A full sync checks all objects across AD, while a delta sync only checks and syncs changes since the last run.

To start a full sync, use the Start-AdSyncSyncCycle cmdlet with the PolicyType parameter set to Full. You can also use the Delta option to sync only the changes.

Before forcing a sync, it's a good idea to check the current sync status. You can do this by running the Get-ADSyncScheduler cmdlet in PowerShell. This will give you information about the current sync cycle, including the allowed sync interval, the next sync cycle policy type, and the next sync cycle start time.

Here are the key properties you'll see:

Azure AD Connect logs are records of activities, errors, and other diagnostic information related to the operations of Azure AD Connect. These logs are crucial for monitoring, troubleshooting, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Azure AD Connect tool.

To understand the logs, you need to know what to look for. Operational logs provide a high-level view of synchronization operations, and you can find these in the Synchronization Service Manager tool.

You can filter log entries by level, such as Information, Warning, and Error. Information level events indicate regular sync activities, while Warning and Error level events indicate issues that need attention.

Azure AD Connect maintains a variety of admin logs and audit trails, including Synchronization Service Logs, Operational Logs, Azure AD Connect Health Logs, Export and Import Logs, and AD FS Logs. Each type of log provides a different view of the sync process.

Here's a breakdown of each type of log:

The key to understanding logs is to know what to look for. Look for events with Information level to understand the regular sync activities, and Warning and Error level events indicate issues that need attention.

To troubleshoot Azure AD Connect sync service issues, you need to understand the tools at your disposal. The ADSync PowerShell module and the Synchronization Service Manager are the primary tools installed with Azure AD Connect.

The ADSync PowerShell module and the Synchronization Service Manager can be used to schedule a sync or force a sync, and they perform the same behavior. The only difference is that one is a command-line tool (PowerShell) and the other is a GUI application.

You can use these tools to setup a recurring sync or force a sync ad-hoc. To view the scheduler tasks, you can use the following tools: The ADSync PowerShell moduleThe Synchronization Service Manager

When choosing between an express and custom install, it's worth noting that the default option is express.

Express install is the most common choice.

During the installation process, you can select between the two options.

Custom install provides more control over the installation process.

Azure AD Connect Express is the default option, but choosing a custom install can be beneficial in certain situations.

When you install Azure AD Connect, it will install two primary tools you can use to schedule a sync or force a sync: the ADSync PowerShell module and the Synchronization Service Manager. Both tools perform the same behavior, the only difference is one is via the command-line (PowerShell) and one is a GUI application.

You can use these tools to setup a recurring (scheduled) sync to routinely perform an Azure AD sync, or use either to force a sync ad-hoc.

The scheduler handles two tasks:

To get the status of the current sync cycle, you can use the Get-ADSyncScheduler cmdlet in PowerShell, which will display several properties, including AllowedSyncCycleInterval, CurrentlyEffectiveSyncCycleInterval, CustomizedSyncCycleInterval, and more.

To force a synchronization, you can use the Start-AdSyncSyncCycle cmdlet with the PolicyType parameter to choose either Full or Delta depending on the sync you’d like to initiate.

You need to configure Azure AD sign-in to ensure a smooth installation process.

The install will detect if there's a matching UPN suffix to your verified domain.

But if it doesn't, you can select "Continue without matching all UPN suffixes to verified domains" and fix this later.

It's essential to verify your domain in the 365 admin center, as shown in the screenshot below.