NOTE: This is from 2015 and may be no longer valid or accurate.
ADConnect is a new tool by Microsoft to sync the on-premise Active Directory to the Azure Active Directory which encompasses all the features that were there in AADSync and DirSync. Both these tools are not released individually now and the functionalities of both have been combined to one tool called ADConnect. It is in Public Preview.
It provides step-by-step experience for integrating one or more Active Directory forests with Microsoft Azure AD. It also allows you to configure Exchange Hybrid development and password change write-back.
Microsoft says that “Azure AD Connect is now your one stop shop for sync, sign on and all combinations of hybrid connections.”
You can download the latest version of ADConnect from the link given below:
http://connect.microsoft.com/site1164/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?DownloadID=53949
Thus ADConnect is the wizard that guides pros through the steps required to establish connection between the Microsoft Azure AD service and an organization’s on-premise Active Directory on Local Server and also helps them keep synced.
The step-by-step procedure is as follows:
- Install the tool that you downloaded from the above link.
- The wizard will open and will guide you through the installation process.
- The wizard will check for any existing synchronization service installed in the computer. Thus it will install Azure AD Connect Synchronization Service in the Local Server.
- It will install synchronization service on the server and also provides optional configuration.
- Enter the Azure Admin credentials to connect to Azure AD.
- After entering the Azure creds, it will take you to the connection wizard with different settings options i.e Express Settings and other Customized Settings. Choosing the Express settings will do the following:
- Choosing “Customize” will provide you with the following three options allowing admin to choose which functions to be performed.
- After choosing the settings, one is supposed to provide the Local Server Administrator credentials.
- Click on Install to configure the synchronization service on the computer. The sync interval will be every 3 hours.
