Azure Hybrid Connection for Seamless On-Premises and Cloud Integration

Azure Hybrid Connection makes it possible to connect your on-premises apps to Azure services seamlessly. This is achieved through a secure and reliable connection that allows data to flow between your on-premises environment and Azure.

With Azure Hybrid Connection, you can extend your on-premises apps to the cloud, making it easier to integrate with Azure services. This is particularly useful for businesses that have existing on-premises infrastructure and want to take advantage of Azure's scalability and flexibility.

A Hybrid Connection can be used to connect to a wide range of Azure services, including Azure App Service, Azure Functions, and Azure Storage. This allows you to leverage the power of the cloud while still being able to manage your on-premises infrastructure.

By using Azure Hybrid Connection, you can simplify your architecture and reduce the complexity of integrating your on-premises apps with Azure services.

Azure Hybrid Connection is a service in Azure that allows your applications to access resources in any network that makes outbound calls to Azure on port 443. It's used within the App Service to access the resources of an application in any network.

The connection uses the TLS 1.2 security protocol and shared access signature (SAS) keys for authentication and authorization. This ensures a secure connection between your application and the Azure Relay.

Azure Hybrid Connection requires the deployment of a relay agent, which connects to the desired Azure endpoint using port 443. The relay agent then allows your application to access the desired endpoint through joined connections.

Azure Hybrid Connection is a service in Azure that allows app access to a TCP endpoint. It's a way to bridge the gap between on-premises and cloud environments.

Azure Hybrid Connection enables you to maintain your existing infrastructure while leveraging the benefits of cloud-based services. This is achieved by integrating on-premises and cloud environments.

Azure Relay addresses the technical challenge of communication between on-premise services and external applications. It allows on-premise services to expose a public endpoint.

Hybrid Azure AD Join is a simple way to bridge the gap between on-premises Active Directory and Azure AD. This enables seamless user access, centralized management, and enhanced security.

Azure Hybrid Connection contains the same uses and capabilities found in the app service. It's used within the app service to access the resources of an application in any network that's making outbound calls to Azure on port 443.

Azure Hybrid Connection is a service in Azure that allows you to connect on-premises applications to cloud services. It's a simple way to expose a public endpoint for on-premises services, enabling external applications to access them.

The connection uses a relay agent, which connects to the Azure endpoint over port 443. This relay agent is also known as the Hybrid Connection Manager (HCM). The HCM calls out to Azure Relay over port 443, establishing a secure connection.

To use Azure Hybrid Connection, you need to deploy a relay agent where it can reach both the desired endpoint and Azure. This relay agent connects to the Azure Relay on your application's behalf, allowing your app to access the desired endpoint.

Azure Hybrid Connection uses TLS 1.2 for security and shared access signature (SAS) keys for authentication and authorization. This ensures that the connection is secure and only authorized applications can access the on-premises services.

When your app makes a DNS request that matches a configured Hybrid Connection endpoint, the outbound TCP traffic is redirected through the Hybrid Connection. This is why it's recommended to always use a DNS name for your Hybrid Connection.

Here's a summary of the key components involved in Azure Hybrid Connection:

By using Azure Hybrid Connection, you can expose your on-premises services to external applications, enabling seamless communication between cloud and on-premises environments.

Azure Hybrid Connection offers a range of benefits that make it a valuable tool for integrating on-premises and cloud environments.

Apps can access on-premises systems and services securely, thanks to the feature's robust security measures.

The feature doesn't require an internet-accessible endpoint, which means you can set it up quickly and easily without any additional infrastructure.

It's quick and easy to set up, no gateways required, making it a convenient option for many users.

Each Hybrid Connection matches to a single host:port combination, which is helpful for security and makes it easier to manage your connections.

The connections are all outbound over standard web ports, which normally doesn't require firewall holes.

The feature is network level, making it agnostic to the language used by your app and the technology used by the endpoint.

You can use Hybrid Connections to provide access in multiple networks from a single app, making it a great option for organizations with complex network setups.

Here are some key benefits of Azure Hybrid Connection:

Azure Hybrid Connection is supported in GA for Windows apps and Linux apps, making it a versatile option for many users.

To set up an Azure Hybrid Connection, you'll need to meet certain requirements. You must have an on-premises AD DS infrastructure in place, running on Windows Server 2012 or later. This is a crucial first step.

You'll also need to have an active subscription to Azure AD and install Azure AD Connect on a server in your on-premises environment. This will enable synchronization between your AD DS and Azure AD.

To create a Hybrid Connection, you'll need to choose the appropriate installation options based on your organization's requirements during the Azure AD Connect installation process. This will ensure a smooth setup.

Here are the specific requirements you'll need to meet:

Managing your Azure Hybrid Connection is crucial for its smooth operation. You can manage it using several administrative tools and settings after completing the Azure AD Hybrid Join setup.

To troubleshoot connectivity issues, check if your host has outbound access to Azure on port 443 by running the PowerShell command Test-NetConnection Destination -P Port. This will help you identify if the issue is with the host's access to Azure.

If the status of your Hybrid Connection doesn't say Connected, there are a few things to check:

If you're experiencing issues with your Hybrid Connection, make sure you're using a DNS name in your Hybrid Connection definition. If you use an IP address, the required client DNS lookup might not happen.

Managing your Hybrid Connections requires some administrative tools and settings. You can manage Hybrid Azure AD Join using several administrative tools and settings after completing the Azure AD Hybrid Join setup.

To manage your Hybrid Connections, you can use the Hybrid Connection Manager (HCM) tool. HCM runs as a service and connects outbound to Azure Relay on port 443. You can download HCM from your app in the Azure portal, select Networking, and Configure your Hybrid Connection endpoints.

To add a new Hybrid Connection, start the HCM UI, select Add a new Hybrid Connection, sign in with your Azure account, choose a subscription, select the Hybrid Connections you want the HCM to relay, and select Save.

Here are the system requirements for HCM:

If you need to change the endpoint host or port for a Hybrid Connection, you can follow these steps:

If your Hybrid Connection status doesn't say Connected, you can troubleshoot the issue by checking the following:

You can prevent others from reusing a Hybrid Connection by locking down access to the Azure Service Bus Relay.

To successfully add a Hybrid Connection, users must have the listKeys permission on the Relay, which is included in the Contributor role or any other role that includes this permission.

Anyone with Reader access to the Relay can see the Hybrid Connection, but they can't add it as they lack the necessary permissions to retrieve the connection string.

Hybrid Connections provide a secure way to connect Web Apps and Mobile Apps to on-premises resources behind your firewall.

They are based on HTTP and WebSockets, making them cross-platform and supporting .Net Core, Java, and other languages.

You can use Azure Relay to establish network load balancing without needing an additional appliance.

Hybrid Connections Relay supports up to 25 listeners, and you can perform multi-cast with it.

By implementing conditional access policies, administrators can control user access based on factors like device compliance and location, helping to protect sensitive data and resources from unauthorized access.

Active Directory is a crucial part of managing your organization's identity and access. It stores and manages user accounts, computer accounts, and other directory objects.

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is Microsoft's on-premises directory service that provides a centralized location for managing user identities. You can think of it as a digital filing cabinet for all your organization's user information.

Hybrid Azure AD Join allows you to integrate your on-premises AD DS with Azure AD, providing a more comprehensive identity management solution. This integration enables administrators to implement conditional access policies that control user access based on device compliance and location.

Conditional access policies are a powerful tool for enforcing stronger security measures within your organization. By controlling user access, you can help protect sensitive data and resources from unauthorized access.

Azure AD is a cloud-based identity and access management service that provides authentication and authorization services for cloud-based resources. It's a key component of Hybrid Azure AD Join and enables administrators to manage user identities across both on-premises and cloud environments.

The renew operation is a JSON message that the listener can send to replace the token associated with the control channel, so that the control channel can be maintained for extended periods.

The token expiry doesn't affect ongoing connections, but it does cause the control channel to be dropped by the service at or soon after the moment of expiry.

This means you need to send the renew operation message before the token expires to keep the control channel active.