Forum Discussion
Comparision on Azure Cloud Sync and Traditional Entra connect Sync.
Introduction
In the evolving landscape of identity management, organizations face a critical decision when integrating their on-premises Active Directory (AD) with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). Two primary tools are available for this synchronization:
- Traditional Entra Connect Sync (formerly Azure AD Connect)
- Azure Cloud Sync
While both serve the same fundamental purpose, bridging on-prem AD with cloud identity, they differ significantly in architecture, capabilities, and ideal use cases.
Architecture & Setup
Entra Connect Sync is a heavyweight solution. It installs a full synchronization engine on a Windows Server, often backed by SQL Server. This setup gives administrators deep control over sync rules, attribute flows, and filtering.
Azure Cloud Sync, on the other hand, is lightweight. It uses a cloud-managed agent installed on-premises, removing the need for SQL Server or complex infrastructure. The agent communicates with Microsoft Entra ID, and most configurations are handled in the cloud portal.
For organizations with complex hybrid setups (e.g., Exchange hybrid, device management), is Cloud Sync too limited?
2 Replies
Comparison with Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
While both Azure Cloud Sync and Microsoft Entra Connect Sync are used for synchronizing on-premises AD with Microsoft Entra ID, there are some key differences:
- Installation Model: Azure Cloud Sync uses a lightweight agent installation model, whereas Microsoft Entra Connect Sync requires a more complex setup
- High Availability: Azure Cloud Sync supports multiple active agents for high availability, which is not available in Microsoft Entra Connect Sync
- Large Group Support: Azure Cloud Sync supports groups with up to 50,000 members, whereas Microsoft Entra Connect Sync supports groups with up to 250,000 members
- On-Demand Provisioning: Azure Cloud Sync supports on-demand provisioning, allowing for more flexible and immediate synchronization
For complex hybrid setups involving Exchange hybrid, device management, or multi-forest configurations, Entra Connect Sync remains the recommended solution due to its flexibility and broader feature set. This is my thought.
