Forum Discussion
Using Connect-SPOService in Azure Runbooks with MFA Enabled Account
- May 13, 2019
Hi Russell Gove, no you can't use an MFA account when doing this level of automation unfortunately as the usual behaviour is to open a popup to request the authentication. There are a couple of options which you have available to you:
1. Use a "service account" which doesn't have MFA (this is the easiest way, just ensure you have a strong password on the account)
2. Connect using App ID and Secret
I hope that helps
Matt Weston Agreed. I prefer #2 as it's a more granular approach to permissions than re-using service accounts for multiple things in your environment.
Beau Cameron Thanks for the info. So I created an app ID and secret, and then created a new credentials in my Azure Automation account (called runbooksappidandsecret) using the app id and secret.
Then I try to use that credential in my script:
Connect-SPOService : The 'username' argument is invalid. At line:9 char:1 + Connect-SPOService -Url "$adminUrl" -Credential $creds + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Connect-SPOService], ArgumentException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.ArgumentException,Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell.ConnectSPOService
- Beau CameronMay 14, 2019MVP
Russell Gove My apologies as I wasn't fully thinking in this regard. SPO Commandlets do not support app only credentials... I forget because I only use the PnP Commandlets (as they have more features than the SPO commandlet).
- RobOnyxPublishingFeb 17, 2021Copper Contributor
Beau Cameron How do you connect to PnP using the App ID and Secret. I have created the App and secret but I am stuck at that point... Your help would be hugely appreciated
- Don KirkhamFeb 18, 2021MVP
RobOnyxPublishing All of the options for connecting via PnP PowerShell can be found at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/sharepoint-pnp/connect-pnponline
The Client Secret option is Example #3 on the page. Microsoft's recommendation for the most secure method is to use a Certificate (Examples #6-8, but I prefer #7). It's a few extra steps to create and attach the Certificate to the App ID, but just as simple as the Client Secret approach after the initial setup, IMO. There is a link under the examples that shows all the steps to set it up.
- RobOnyxPublishingFeb 17, 2021Copper Contributor
I am having the same problem but I am actually trying to access PNP Cmdlts. I'm fairly new so I am curious on the process of " So I created an app ID and secret, and then created a new credentials in my Azure Automation account (called runbooksappidandsecret) using the app id and secret."
Could you tell me the process to get to this point?
Many thanks
Rob
- Paul BullockFeb 24, 2021MVP
RobOnyxPublishing - I have created a while ago a sample for the PnP PowerShell with scripts to set this up using App Only, Azure AD App, and Azure Automation -
https://github.com/pnp/powershell/tree/dev/samples/Connect.AzureAutomation
hope it helps.