News

'Classic' Azure AD Management Portal Ending Soon

• By Kurt Mackie
• 09/19/2017

Microsoft is limiting the number of software management interfaces for Azure Active Directory identity and access service to one.

Today, Microsoft indicated it will be retiring the so-called "classic" Azure Portal management experience for Azure AD, starting on Nov. 30. Instead, organizations are being encouraged to use the Azure AD Admin Center, a browser-based management interface.

The Azure AD Admin Center reached "general availability" in May, meaning that Microsoft deems it ready for use in production environments. The Azure AD Admin Center provides dashboard views of users, groups and sign-ins, as well as application assignments. Surprisingly, it doesn't require having an Azure subscription to use it.

Even though the classic Azure Portal for Azure AD will be going away in a couple of months or so, the classic portal is still needed to carry out some activities. Microsoft's announcement didn't list those dependent activities, but it claimed they'd be part of the Azure AD Admin Center "well before November 30."

Microsoft will also wrap its Azure Information Protection management experience, which controls user access to sensitive information in e-mails and documents, into the Azure Portal.

In addition, Access Control Services, Microsoft's service for authenticating user access to Web apps and services, will move to a new URL. The new URL will be provided "soon," the announcement indicated.