Summary
This module examined the planning aspects that organizations must consider when implementing directory synchronization with Microsoft 365. The module began by reviewing the four stages of deploying Microsoft Entra ID. You then examined how to prepare your on-premises deployment for directory synchronization.
To prepare for synchronization, you learned the importance of preparing your environment by analyzing the following features:
- Active Directory preparation
- UPN suffixes
- Microsoft 365 IdFix tool
With both your on-premises and cloud environments ready for synchronization, you're now ready to choose which directory synchronization tool best fits your organization's requirements. This module explored the features of each tool - Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync.
You learned that while it's easy to implement Microsoft Entra Connect Sync, organizations must thoroughly plan their Microsoft Entra Connect Sync implementation. Planning is especially needed if an organization has a complex Active Directory implementation or special requirements. Microsoft Entra Connect Sync has a larger footprint than Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync, but it's also the only tool that organizations with a hybrid Exchange environment can use.
You then examined Microsoft's latest directory synchronization tool, Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync. This tool has a smaller footprint, since it uses lightweight agents to run the synchronization process. However, it doesn't currently support Exchange hybrid deployments.