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://www.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.