Azure AD
Azure AD can be thought of primarily as a cloud-based centralized Identity Provider (IDP) and directory service for objects.
Azure AD is the foundation of granting access to resources through Identity and Access Management (IAM) for cloud and hybrid environments and providing authentication and authorization for users, apps, and devices.
Objects are stored in Azure AD with attributes; for user identities, the core attributes would be their sign-in name, known as their User Principal Name (UPN), password, location, assigned roles, group membership, devices, licenses, and authentication methods. The following diagram aims to visualize Azure AD as the centralized cloud IDP:
Figure 8.1 – Active AD
In addition to an organization's user management, Azure AD provides the following:
- Device management
- Application management
- Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Customer (B2C) identity services
- SSO
- MFA and Conditional...
