Azure AD Connect V1 is reaching the end of its life, and it's essential to upgrade to ensure continued functionality and security. Microsoft has confirmed that support for Azure AD Connect V1 will end on April 13, 2024.
If you're still using Azure AD Connect V1, it's time to start planning your upgrade. Fortunately, Microsoft has provided several options for upgrading to a newer version.
You can upgrade to Azure AD Connect Health, which provides advanced monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities for Azure AD Connect. This is a great option if you're looking to enhance your Azure AD Connect experience.
Upgrading to Azure AD Connect V2 is another viable option. This version offers improved performance, scalability, and security features compared to V1.
Azure AD Connect V2 Endpoint No Longer Supported
Microsoft has officially announced that the V2 endpoint is no longer available for Azure AD Connect V1.x versions.
As of July 2021, AAD Connect version 2.0.3.0 was released, which supports the V2 endpoint by default, but requires Windows Server 2016 or 2019 due to its dependency on SQL Server Express 2019 for localDB.
Customers running AADC V1.x are strongly encouraged to update to V2.x, which may require installing AADC V2.x on a new Windows 2016 or Windows 2019 server.
If you're still using Azure AD Connect 1.x, you should make sure you're using the V1 endpoint, which can be done by following these steps:
- Import-Module 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Sync\Extensions\AADConnector.psm1'
- Get-ADSyncAADConnectorExportApiVersion
- Get-ADSyncAADConnectorImportApiVersion
This will help you determine if you're currently using the V2 endpoint. If you are, you'll need to switch to the V1 endpoint by running the following cmdlets:
- Import-Module 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Sync\Extensions\AADConnector.psm1'
- Set-ADSyncScheduler -SyncCycleEnabled $false
- Set-ADSyncAADConnectorExportApiVersion 1
- Set-ADSyncAADConnectorImportApiVersion 1
- Set-ADSyncScheduler -SyncCycleEnabled $true
Note that there's an issue where customers who have the V2 endpoint running with an older version and try to upgrade to a newer V1.6 release will see that the 50K limitation on group membership is reinstated.
Upgrade Now!
You need to upgrade Azure AD Connect V1 by August 2022, or syncing won't work anymore.
Windows Server 2012 / R2 are not supported anymore, and DirSync / AADSync are also not supported.
Migrate your AAD Connect to Windows Server 2016 or 2019, as these are the supported options.
Here are the key migration steps:
- Update to version 1.6.16.0, which is the most current version in version 1 history.
- Export your complete configuration as a JSON file for safety.
- Perform an in-place upgrade in Azure AD Connect if you're running Windows Server 2016 or later.
Even if you've installed version 2 already, check your version, as old versions of version 2 will be retired in March 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to check Azure AD Connect V1?
To check the version of Azure AD Connect V1 on your Windows Server, navigate to Control Panel > Programs and Features and look for the version column under Microsoft Azure AD connect.
Sources
- https://www.withum.com/resources/azure-ad-connect-1-x-is-retiring-what-you-need-to-know/
- https://blog.it-koehler.com/en/Archive/4362
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure_AD_Connect
- https://blog.expta.com/2021/11/azure-ad-connect-v1x-versions-no-longer.html
- https://jorgequestforknowledge.wordpress.com/2019/12/10/azure-ad-connect-v1-4-38-0-has-been-released/
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