Authentication in AAD
Before we start to dive deeper into what protocols are used and how they work, we first need to understand what a device identity is and how devices are joined.
Device identity – connecting devices to AAD
A device identity is simply the object that will be created in AAD once a device is registered or joined into the AAD tenant. It is similar to a device in on-premises AD and administrators can use it to manage the actual device or to get more information on it. Device identities can be found in the AAD portal under Devices | All devices.
There are three methods for joining or registering devices to AAD:
- AAD join: The default method for joining modern devices, such as Windows 10 or Windows 11, to your AAD tenant. Windows Server 2019+ virtual machines (VMs) running in your Azure tenant can be joined as well.
- AAD registration: A method to support bring-your-own-device (BYOD) or mobile device scenarios. This method is also considered a...
