Exercise - Set up Microsoft Entra ID

  • 15 minutes

This exercise takes you through the process of creating and managing Microsoft Entra ID-related entities, including Microsoft Entra tenants, users and groups. You will start by creating a user account and two groups in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with your subscription, and adding the user to the first group. Then you will create another Microsoft Entra tenant and a user account in that tenant. To conclude this exercise, you will add the user account from the second tenant as a guest account in the first tenant. In the subsequent exercises of this module, you will implement integration between an Azure Database for PostgreSQL single server instance and the first Microsoft Entra tenant, and grant access to its content to the two previously created groups.

In this exercise, you'll:

  • Create Microsoft Entra user and group objects in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with your Azure subscription.
  • Create an additional Microsoft Entra tenant and a user object.
  • Create and configure a Microsoft Entra guest user in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with your Azure subscription.

Prerequisites

To perform this exercise, you need:

  • An Azure account with an active subscription. If you don't have an Azure account, create a free account before you begin. It's recommended to use a test environment, like a free account, for this module.
  • The Azure account must have permissions to manage applications. For more information about Entra roles and using the principle of least privilege, see the best practices for Microsoft Entra roles and Microsoft Entra built-in roles.
  • A Microsoft account or a Microsoft Entra account with the Global Administrator role in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with the Azure subscription and with the Owner or Contributor role in the Azure subscription.

Warning

Use a test environment because the exercises in this module perform sensitive operations that require elevated administrative privileges.

Create Microsoft Entra user and group objects in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with your Azure subscription

You'll start by creating Microsoft Entra user and group objects. After the objects are created, you'll configure their respective group memberships. To speed up the configuration tasks, you'll use Azure CLI. You'll rely on the Microsoft Entra objects to authenticate to the Azure Database for PostgreSQL single server instance in the next exercise of this module.

  1. Start a web browser, navigate to the Azure portal and sign in to access the Azure subscription you'll be using in this module.

  2. In the Azure portal, open the Cloud Shell by selecting its icon in the toolbar next to the search text box.

  3. If needed, select Bash.

    Note

    If this is the first time you're starting Azure Cloud Shell and you're presented with the You have no storage mounted message, select the subscription you're using in this exercise, and then select Create storage.

  4. Within the Bash session on the Azure Cloud Shell pane, run the following command to identify the default DNS domain name of the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with the Azure subscription:

    DOMAIN_NAME=$(az rest --method GET --url 'https://management.azure.com/tenants?api-version=2020-01-01' --query "value[0].defaultDomain" -o tsv)

  5. Run the following command to create a Microsoft Entra user in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with the Azure subscription:

    ADMIN_NAME=adatumadmin1
ADMIN=$(az ad user create --display-name $ADMIN_NAME \
                  --password <enter your password> \
                  --user-principal-name $ADMIN_NAME@$DOMAIN_NAME \
                  --force-change-password-next-sign-in false)

    Note

    You'll configure this user account as a Microsoft Entra admin of the Azure Database for PostgreSQL single server instance in the next exercise.

  6. Run the following command to identify the value of the userPrincipalName attribute of the Microsoft Entra user you created in the previous step:

    echo $ADMIN | jq -r '.userPrincipalName'

    Note

    Record this value. You'll need it in the next exercise of this module.

  7. Run the following commands to assign to the newly created user the Contributor role in the Azure subscription you're using for the exercises in this module:

    ADMIN_OBJECT_ID=$(echo $ADMIN | jq -r '.id')
SUBSCRIPTION_ID=$(az account show --query id --output tsv)
az role assignment create --assignee "$ADMIN_OBJECT_ID" \
                          --role "Contributor" \
                          --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID"

    Note

    The second command will return the ID of your default subscription. If you intend to use a different subscription, you need to set the value of the $SUBSCRIPTION_ID variable accordingly.

  8. Run the following command to create a Microsoft Entra user in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with the Azure subscription:

    USER_NAME=adatumuser1
USER=$(az ad user create --display-name $USER_NAME \
                  --password <enter your password> \
                  --user-principal-name $USER_NAME@$DOMAIN_NAME \
                  --force-change-password-next-sign-in false)

    Note

    You'll configure this user account as a non-privileged Microsoft Entra user with access to a database on the Azure Database for PostgreSQL single server instance in the next exercise.

  9. Run the following command to create a Microsoft Entra group in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with the Azure subscription:

    GROUP_NAME=adatumgroup1
GROUP=$(az ad group create --display-name $GROUP_NAME \
                         --mail-nickname $GROUP_NAME \
                         --description $GROUP_NAME)

    Note

    You'll use this group to assign permissions to the database on the Azure Database for PostgreSQL single server instance in the next exercise.

  10. Run the following command to add the user to the group:

    USER_OBJECT_ID=$(echo $USER | jq -r '.id')
az ad group member add --group $GROUP_NAME --member-id $USER_OBJECT_ID

  11. Run the following command to assign to the newly created user the Contributor role in the Azure subscription you're using for the exercises in this module:

    SUBSCRIPTION_ID=$(az account show --query id --output tsv)
az role assignment create --assignee "$USER_OBJECT_ID" \
                          --role "Contributor" \
                          --scope "/subscriptions/$SUBSCRIPTION_ID"

    Note

    You'll rely on this role assignment in the next exercise of this module.

  12. Close the Cloud Shell pane.

  13. To verify the outcome of this exercise, in the Azure portal, use the Search resources, services, and docs text box at the beginning of the Azure portal page to search for Microsoft Entra ID.

  14. In the list of results, select Microsoft Entra ID.

  15. On the blade displaying properties of your Microsoft Entra tenant, in the vertical menu, in the Manage sections, select Users.

  16. On the Users | All users blade, verify that the list of users contains the user account you created previously in this task.

  17. Navigate back to the blade displaying properties of your Microsoft Entra tenant, and in the vertical menu, in the Manage sections, select Groups.

  18. On the Groups | All groups blade, verify that the list of groups contains the group account you created previously in this task.

Create an additional Microsoft Entra tenant and a user object

In this task, you'll create a Microsoft Entra tenant and a user account in the new tenant by using the Azure portal. In the next task, you'll configure this user account as a guest user account in the first tenant.

  1. In the web browser, on the Azure portal blade displaying properties of your Microsoft Entra tenant, select Manage tenants and then select + Create.

  2. On the Basics tab of the Create a tenant blade, ensure that the Microsoft Entra ID option is selected and select Next: Configuration >.

  3. On the Configuration tab of the Create a tenant blade, specify the following settings:

    Setting Value
    Organization name Contoso
    Initial domain name Any valid DNS name consisting of lowercase letters and digits and starting with a letter
    Country/Region The name of your country or region

  4. Select Review + create and, on the Review + create tab of the Create a tenant blade, select Create.

  5. If prompted, on the Help us prove you're not a robot, enter the provided code, and then select Submit.

  6. Wait for the provisioning to complete and then select the Contoso link to navigate to the blade displaying properties of the Contoso Microsoft Entra tenant.

  7. In the web browser, on the Azure portal blade displaying the Contoso | Overview blade of the Contoso Microsoft Entra tenant, in the vertical menu, in the Manage sections, select Users.

  8. On the Users | All users blade of the Contoso - Microsoft Entra ID tenant, select + New user, then select Create new user.

  9. On the Create new user blade, specify the following settings, while leaving the other settings with their default values:

    Setting Value
    User name contosouser1
    Name contosouser1
    Let me create the password Enabled
    Initial password Enter a <password>

  10. Use the Copy to clipboard icon next to the User name drop-down list to record the value of the User principal name attribute of contosouser1. You'll need it later in this and subsequent exercises.

  11. On the New user blade, select Create.

  12. On the Users | All users blade of the Contoso - Microsoft Entra ID tenant, review the list of user accounts and verify that the new user account was created successfully.

    Note

    You'll configure this user account as a non-privileged Microsoft Entra user with access to a database on the Azure Database for PostgreSQL single server instance in the next exercise.

Create and configure a Microsoft Entra guest user in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with your Azure subscription

To conclude this exercise, you'll use the Azure portal to configure the user account in the Contoso Microsoft Entra tenant as a guest user in the Adatum Microsoft Entra tenant, create a new group in that tenant, and add the guest user to that group.

  1. In the web browser, on the Azure portal blade displaying the Contoso | Overview blade of the Contoso Microsoft Entra tenant, in the toolbar, in the upper right corner, select the Subscriptions icon next to the Cloud Shell icon, and then select the Switch directory link.

  2. On the Directories + subscriptions blade, select the entry representing the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with the Azure subscription you're using in the exercises of this module, and then select Switch.

    Note

    This will automatically switch your session to the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with the Azure subscription you're using in the exercises of this module.

  3. In the Azure portal, use the Search resources, services, and docs text box at the beginning of the Azure portal page to search for Microsoft Entra ID and, in the list of results, select Microsoft Entra ID.

  4. On the blade displaying properties of your Microsoft Entra tenant, in the vertical menu, in the Manage sections, select Users.

  5. On the Users | All users blade, select + New user, then select Invite external user.

  6. On the Invite external user blade, ensure that the Invite user option is selected, specify the following settings while leaving the other settings with their default values, select Review + invite, and then select Invite:

    Setting Value
    Email address The value of the User principal name attribute of contosouser1 you recorded earlier in this task
    Display name contosouser1
    Invitation message Welcome to Adatum

  7. Navigate back to the blade displaying the properties of your Microsoft Entra tenant, and then, in the vertical menu, in the Manage sections, select Groups.

  8. On the Groups | All groups blade, select adatumgroup1.

  9. On the adatumgroup1 blade, select Members.

  10. On the adatumgroup1 | Members blade, select + Add members.

  11. On the Add members blade, in the Search text box, enter contosouser1.

  12. In the list of results, select the contosouser1 entry, and then select Select.

Results

Congratulations! You've completed the first exercise of this module. You started this exercise by creating a user and a group in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with your Azure subscription, and then adding the user to the group. Next, you created another Microsoft Entra tenant and a user in that Microsoft Entra tenant. Finally, you configured that user as a guest user in the Microsoft Entra tenant associated with your Azure subscription, created another group in that tenant, and added the guest user to it.