1

Hi Community

Is it enough to sync AD on prem, with Azure Active Directory. If I want to use Exchange online (Office365). Or will I have to have an Excahnge on prem as well?

2 Spice ups
2

It depends. You can either have Exchange Online only, Exchange On-Prem only, or both Exchange Online and Exchange On-prem in hybrid mode. You can find more info about hybrid mode here: Exchange Server hybrid deployments | Microsoft Learn

3

Hi

Ok, thanks for the quick answer.

If I choose to go with the Exchange Online only. Can I then have users from my AD use there password if AD is synced with Azure Active Directory?

br

Chris

4

Pretty sure you need ADFS for that.

We had Azure Active Directory and used DirSync with ADFS.

We did not have on prem exchange.

5

Dirsync alone will do that.

6

Hmm, I don’t have a definitive answer, but I do know that when I sync a new user (force a full sync), then apply a license to that user in O365, it says the mailbox will be ready after it’s been migrated.

It kind of throws me because as soon as I apply the license, right under ‘Primary email address’, it says, “generating mailbox”, or something to that effect. Then a popup displays saying it’ll be ready after the migration.

Sorry this doesn’t really answer your question, and it isn’t logical to me, but that’s been my experience.

And welcome to the neighborhood!

7

We use Azure AD Connect to sync our local AD users to Office 365. It has an option to sync passwords as well.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=47594

1 Spice up
8

OK, but do they then have access to Exchange as well?

/Chris

9

Yes. We are only using Exchange online and everything syncs flawlessly.

10

One of the main selling points of O365 is that you get full access to online Exchange, with no need for an on premises Exchange Server.

11

Tyson,

Hows AD Connect working for you? I read someplace that as it has just gone Public Release it was better as of today to still go DirSync or ADFS if needed. As I recall AD Connect was built to combine and replace these two.

12

I believe AD Connect was fully released back in July. I started using it (removed dirsync) about two weeks ago and have had no problems.

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We’ve been using it for about 2 months and haven’t had any trouble. So far it’s just been set and forget.