Understanding Azure AD Sync Service Configuration and Installation

The Azure AD Sync Service is a critical component of your organization's identity management infrastructure. It synchronizes user and group information between your on-premises Active Directory and Azure Active Directory.

To start, you need to download and install the Azure AD Sync Service from the Microsoft Download Center. This will give you access to the installation wizard.

The installation wizard will guide you through the configuration process, which includes specifying the Active Directory forest and domain. You will also need to provide the credentials of a user with sufficient permissions to install the service.

The Azure AD Sync Service can be installed on a domain-joined computer or a server that is not joined to the domain. However, it's recommended to install it on a domain-joined computer for better security and management.

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The Azure AD Sync Service is a crucial component of Azure AD Connect, responsible for unifying on-premise and on-cloud user identity data. It's the primary component of Azure AD Connect, taking care of all operations related to synchronization.

Azure AD Sync Service ensures that users can synchronize their digital identities across hybrid infrastructures, enabling single Sign-on and federated identity services. This includes user accounts, groups, credential hashes, User Principal Name, and security identifier.

The sync service installs and configures the sync component, formerly named AAD Sync, for one or multiple Active Directory forests, and enables synchronization in the Azure AD tenant. It's a critical step in the Azure AD Connect wizard process.

Azure AD Sync Service provides end-to-end diagnosis and monitoring of the Azure AD Connect deployment and other hybrid environments across the Active Directory. It throws light on performance metrics related to synchronization, such as sync errors, sync status, usage monitoring, authorization requirements, and delivers auto-health updates.

Here are the key components of Azure AD Connect, which include the Azure AD Sync Service:

To set up the Azure AD sync service, you have two options: Express Settings and Custom Settings. Express Settings is the default option and deploys sync with the password hash sync option for a single-domain, single-forest on-premise Active Directory domain.

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Custom Settings gives you more flexibility, allowing you to connect one or multiple Active Directory domains and forests and choose between password hash sync, pass-through authentication, and Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) for authentication.

The sync scheduler settings are also crucial to consider. You can configure the AllowedSyncCycleInterval, which specifies the Azure AD’s minimum synchronization interval, and the CurrentlyEffectiveSyncCycleInterval, which displays the schedule currently in effect.

You can also configure the CustomizedSyncCycleInterval, which allows you to set the scheduler to operate at a frequency other than the default 30 minutes. Additionally, you can set the NextSyncCyclePolicyType to either Delta or Initial, which specifies whether the next run should merely process delta changes or do a full import and sync.

The NextSyncCycleStartTimeInUTC specifies the start time of the next sync cycle, and the PurgeRunHistoryInterval displays the time operation logs should be kept. The default storage time is 7 days.

To manage the sync process using PowerShell, you can use the ADSync PowerShell Module, which is installed when you install Azure AD Connect. To import the module, open a PowerShell console and enter the following: Import-Module "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Connect Sync\Bin\ADSync.psd1".

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To sync on-prem Active Directory to an Azure AD tenant, you'll first need to ensure you have the necessary pre-requisites in place. You'll need an Azure AD tenant, a verified domain name, and a license such as Microsoft 365, Azure AD Basic, or Enterprise Mobility + Security.

An on-premise Active Directory is also required, with specific schema and forest functional level requirements: Windows Server 2016 or beyond. Additionally, the domain controller must be writable, as Azure ADConnect doesn't support read-only domain controllers.

Here are the key requirements summarized:

With these requirements met, you can proceed with downloading and installing the Azure AD connect software, which can be done from the Azure Portal or by downloading the software package directly.

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Custom settings offer more flexibility in connecting Active Directory domains and forests, allowing administrators to choose between password hash sync, pass-through authentication, and Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) for authentication.

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With custom settings, administrators can connect multiple Active Directory domains and forests, giving them more control over their authentication options.

Custom settings also allow administrators to choose sync options such as password reset write back and Exchange hybrid deployments, providing additional features for managing their Active Directory environment.

This flexibility makes custom settings a great option for organizations with more complex Active Directory infrastructures.

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To install Azure AD Connect, you'll need to meet certain requirements. You must have an Azure AD tenant with a verified domain name, which can hold up to 300,000 objects.

You'll also need an on-premise Active Directory with a Windows Server 2016 or later schema and forest functional level. Additionally, your domain controller must be writable, as Azure AD Connect doesn't support read-only domain controllers.

A Windows Server Standard is required, with .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later and Microsoft PowerShell 3.0 or later installed. You'll also need an SQL database in place to store identity-based data, and SQL Server 2019 Express LocalDB is installed by default.

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Here are the key requirements in a concise list:

By meeting these requirements, you'll be able to successfully install and configure Azure AD Connect for syncing your on-prem Active Directory with your Azure AD tenant.

The Azure AD sync service allows you to customize the sync schedule to suit your needs. You can modify the default sync schedule to run at different intervals, such as every 2 hours, using the Set-ADSyncScheduler PowerShell command.

The default synchronization setting is 30 minutes, but you can change this to once every 2 hours, for example. It's essential to note that there are upper and lower limits for the Azure AD Sync schedule, such as running at least once every 7 days.

Azure ADConnect sync cycles run every 30 minutes by default, but you can configure changes into the scheduler using PowerShell scripts if needed. To ensure synchronization, you must implement the synchronization cycle at least once a week after making changes.

You can deploy Azure ADConnect in two ways: Express or Custom. The Express method is suitable for customers with a single-forest topology and less than 100,000 objects in their on-premises AD.

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The default schedule for Azure AD sync is set to 30 minutes, which is the minimum supported synchronization frequency. This means that the sync cycle will run at least once every 7 days.

You can find the schedule by opening up Task Scheduler and looking for the scheduled task under Microsoft –> Windows called Azure AD Sync Scheduler. The default schedule is set to run a delta sync every 30 minutes.

By default, Azure AD Connect creates a scheduled task that runs a delta (syncing only differing objects) sync every 30 minutes. This is the lowest interval supported.

Here's a quick rundown of the default schedule:

The scheduler itself is always running, but it can be configured to only run one or none of these tasks.

To deploy Azure AD Connect, you'll need to choose the right installation method for your organization. The Express method is the most commonly used, but it's not suitable for everyone.

The Express method is ideal for organizations with single-forest topology and fewer than 100,000 objects in their on-premises AD. This method also supports automatic upgrades and synchronization of all AD assets, including users, groups, contacts, and Windows 10 devices.

However, if you have more than 100,000 objects in your AD, you'll need to use the custom installation method. This method offers more flexibility, including group-based filtering and the ability to synchronize multiple forests.

To determine which method is right for you, consider your organization's specific needs and constraints. Do you have a single-forest topology or multiple forests to synchronize? Are you authorized to access enterprise accounts in AD? Answering these questions will help you decide between the Express and custom installation methods.

Here's a summary of the two installation methods:

The Azure AD PowerShell module allows administrators to gain granular control over synchronization behaviors. To begin working with the Azure AD PowerShell module, it must be imported.

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You can manually run a synchronization with current configurations using the `Start-ADSyncSyncCycle` cmdlet. To retrieve current synchronization schedule settings, you can use the `Get-ADSyncScheduler` cmdlet. This cmdlet provides useful information, such as the allowed sync cycle interval, currently effective sync cycle interval, and customized sync cycle interval.

Here are the properties you can expect to see:

Forcing a sync with PowerShell can be done using the `Start-ADSyncSyncCycle` cmdlet. You can choose to force a full sync or a delta sync, depending on your needs.

To set up PowerShell for Azure AD management, you need to import the Azure AD PowerShell module. This module can be found in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Connect Sync\Bin folder after installing Azure AD Connect.

The module is called ADSync, and it contains cmdlets for managing the sync process using PowerShell. Importing the module is straightforward, and you can do it by opening a PowerShell console and entering "Import-Module ADSync".

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To verify that the module has imported, use the Get-Module cmdlet. You should see the ADSync module listed. This confirms that you are ready to use PowerShell for Azure AD management.

Azure AD Connect also installs Windows PowerShell 5.1 by default, which is required for using the ADSync module. However, if you're using an older version, your experience may vary.

You can now use the ADSync module to manage the sync process, including running a synchronization with current configurations, retrieving current synchronization schedule settings, and changing the current synchronization schedule settings.

Azure AD Connect installs two primary tools to manage synchronization: the ADSync PowerShell module and the Synchronization Service Manager. Both tools can be used to schedule a sync or force a sync ad-hoc.

The ADSync PowerShell module allows you to perform sync tasks from the command-line, while the Synchronization Service Manager provides a graphical user interface for the same tasks. The two tools perform the same behavior, with the only difference being the method of interaction.

The scheduler handles two tasks: routine syncs and ad-hoc syncs.

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You can use either PowerShell or the Synchronization Service Manager to force a sync in Azure AD. The Azure AD PowerShell module allows administrators granular control over synchronization behaviors.

To manually run a synchronization with current configurations, you can use the Start-AdSyncSyncCycle cmdlet. You can also use the Synchronization Service Manager to start a sync.

The Synchronization Service Manager is a graphical user interface that allows you to manage the sync process. It's located in the Start menu under AD Connect, then Synchronization Service.

By default, the sync interval in Azure AD is 30 minutes. However, you can change it or force it when necessary. You can force a sync on Azure either through the GUI (the synchronization manager) or via PowerShell.

To start a full sync, you can use the Start-AdSyncSyncCycle cmdlet with the PolicyType parameter set to Initial. To start a delta sync, you can use the Start-AdSyncSyncCycle cmdlet with the PolicyType parameter set to Delta.

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Here's a comparison of the two methods:

It's worth noting that forcing a sync during a currently running sync can cause issues. To avoid this, you can use the Get-ADSyncScheduler cmdlet to check the current sync status before forcing a sync.

Before you force a sync, it's a good idea to get the status of the current sync cycle. You can use the Get-ADSyncScheduler cmdlet to see the current settings, including the AllowedSyncCycleInterval, CurrentlyEffectiveSyncCycleInterval, and CustomizedSyncCycleInterval.

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