
Steps to migrate users from on-premises Active Directory to Azure
In this blog, we will show you the steps to migrate users from on-premises Active Directory to Azure using Microsoft Azure Portal.
REQUIREMENTS
- Microsoft Azure Subscription.
- Windows VM with AD installed
“Note: We are using windows 2016 VM for this demo.
CREATING NEW ACTIVE DIRECTORY
- Log in to Azure portal and Select New option.
- Select on Security + Identity and click on Azure Active Directory link.
- Provide the required information and Click on Create button.
- It will take few minutes to complete the creating task.
- Now, Re-login into your Azure portal and you will see your new domain on the account menu list.
- Click on the Active directory link from the service list.
CREATING AN ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNT
- From the Azure Active Directory service, Click on users and groups link.
- Select the All users link.
- Click on New User link.
- Provide the Name and username of the new administrator account. You need to add the user account in username@domainname.onmicrosoft.com format.
- Click on the profile link and provide the required information.
- Leave the properties tab by default. Click on Directory Role link and select the Global Administrator option and click OK.
- Click on Show Password link and make a note of it. We have to reset the password for the administrator account.
- Verify the provided information and click the Create button.
- The new user will be available on the user list.
RESET THE GLOBAL ADMINISTRATOR PASSWORD
- Open the Azure portal URL http://portal.azure.com and click to use another account.
- Provide the Azure global administrator name and click Next.
- Provide the temporary password and select the Sign in button.
- It will prompt us to update the password for the global administrator account. Provide the required information and click Sign in.
- We have logged into the Azure portal successfully.
DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL AZURE AD CONNECT
- Open the web browser and access the URL https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=47594
- Scroll down and click on Download button.
- Download the MSI file and save it to the desktop.
- Double-click on the MSI file and follow the wizard to complete the installation process.
- After the installation completes, A new shortcut will be available on the desktop.
REVIEW ON-PREM ACTIVE DIRECTORY
- We have already installed a new Active Directory domain as azdomain.local
- Open the Active Directory users and computers snap-in and select the users OU.
- We created three AD user for the demo purpose.
SYNCHRONIZE THE ON-PREM AD TO AZURE AD
- Double click on the Azure AD connect shortcut from the desktop. Agree to the license and click continue.
- Click on the Express settings link.
- Provide Azure Global Administrator credentials.
- Provide the local domain administrator credentials.
- We have not configured the UPN Suffixes for this demo. Click on Continue without any verified domains checkbox and proceed to next screen.
- Click on Install button to start the synchronization between the on-premises and Azure AD.
- It will take few minutes to complete the synchronization process.
- Click on Exit button to close the wizard.
VERIFICATION
- Log in to the Azure portal using Global Administrator credentials and click on Active Directory services link.
- Click on All users link and you can able to view our local AD users on the list.
- We can use these users to access the Azure portal.
LINKS
https://blog.assistanz.com/azure-active-directory-overview/
VIDEO
Thanks for reading this blog. We hope it was useful for you to learn about Active Directory Synchronization between on-premises and Azure AD.

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