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In the latest episode of the Entra Chat podcast, Dhanyah Krishnamoorthy, Product Manager for Entra Connect Sync and Cloud Sync at Microsoft, shares valuable insights into the evolution, differences, and future of these critical identity synchronization tools.
Key Discussion Points:
🕰️ History & Evolution – How Entra Connect Sync and Cloud Sync have developed over time.
🔄 Cloud Sync Benefits – Lightweight agent, high availability, and merger/acquisition advantages.
🔮 Future Roadmap – Microsoft’s investment focus on Cloud Sync.
🤝 Coexistence – How Connect Sync and Cloud Sync can work together.
👥 Group Provisioning to AD – New capabilities for Active Directory.
📊 Scaling & Security – Best practices for deployment.
🧙♂️ Sync Wizard Tool – Simplifying synchronization management.
🔒 Security Enhancements – Recent improvements in sync security.
Listen to the Episode:
🎧 Apple Podcast
📺 YouTube
🎶 Spotify
🎙️ Overcast
📻 Pocketcast
📡 RSS Feed
You Should Know:
1. Checking Sync Status (PowerShell)
Get-ADSyncScheduler Get-ADSyncConnectorRunStatus
2. Force Sync Cycle (Entra Connect Sync)
Start-ADSyncSyncCycle -PolicyType Delta
3. Verify Cloud Sync Agent Health (CLI)
sudo systemctl status entra-cloud-sync-agent journalctl -u entra-cloud-sync-agent -n 50
4. Export Sync Rules (Troubleshooting)
Get-ADSyncRule | Export-Csv -Path "C:\sync_rules.csv"
5. Graph API for Sync Monitoring
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $token" https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/directory/onPremisesSynchronization
6. Enable Group Writeback (Hybrid Identity)
Set-ADSyncAADCompanyFeature -GroupWritebackV2 $true
7. Check Sync Errors in Event Log
Get-WinEvent -LogName "Application" -FilterXPath "[System[Provider[@Name='Directory Synchronization']]]"
What Undercode Say:
Microsoft’s Entra Connect Sync and Cloud Sync are pivotal for hybrid identity management. While Connect Sync remains robust for complex forests, Cloud Sync offers agility for modern deployments. Key takeaways:
– Use Cloud Sync for lightweight, scalable sync needs.
– Monitor sync jobs with PowerShell and Graph API.
– Security hardening is critical—always audit sync permissions.
– Future updates will likely favor Cloud Sync, so plan migrations accordingly.
For admins, mastering these tools ensures seamless identity governance across Azure AD and on-prem AD.
Expected Output:
A comprehensive guide on Entra Connect Sync vs. Cloud Sync, enriched with practical commands for IT professionals managing hybrid identities.
References:
Reported By: Merill Episode – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
