Visual Studio sign in takes us to Azure DevOps Services instead of to our Azure DevOps Server (on-premise).

Question

Visual Studio sign in takes us to Azure DevOps Services instead of to our Azure DevOps Server (on-premise).

Context: Company has 2 divisions, and thus 2 instances of Azure DevOps.

Division A uses public Azure cloud and has Azure DevOps Services with Azure Active Directory (AAD)
Division B does not use public Azure cloud and has Azure DevOps Server with Windows Active Directory (AD)

A and B do not have access to each others' Azure DevOps.

Division B wants to use features of Visual Studio that require Sign In (the one located in the top right corner of VS).

However, sign in for Division B users appears to take us to Azure DevOps Services.

1. It wants the Azure Active Directory (AAD) email address, not our Windows Active Directory (AD) user id.
2. It shows "You don't have access to this" "Your sign-in was successful but you don't have permission to access this resource".

So my questions are:

1. Can VS sign in be configured to either accept our Windows Active Directory (AD) user id or use the AAD but connect to our Azure DevOps Server?
2. If not, can it be turned off, so that our Division B users don't attempt to sign in, thus reducing support tickets?
3. Can Live Share be used by Division B, with it's Azure DevOps Server ( on-premise)?

(FYI, the form won't let me create a tag for Azure-devops or visual-studio)

Answer 1

The product group for Azure DevOps / TFS actively monitors questions over at
https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/report?space=21&entry=problem
https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/report?space=22&entry=problem

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

Answer 2

I think you're confused about the sign in here. Sign In (top right of VS) is completely unrelated to Azure DevOps. Visual Studio requires a license from Microsoft. The Sign In button is to authenticate who is using VS so the VS license can be used. This is normally the user's company email address and whoever purchases your software is responsible for ensuring you have a license, generally an MSDN subscription. When you sign in VS will ensure you have a license to use the edition of VS you're using. Periodically that license has to be renewed.

If you are buying retain copies of VS then you'll have a product key instead. Within the sign in UI is an option to use a product key instead. In this case your license is tied to the key.

Azure DevOps doesn't come into play until you try to connect to a Git/TFVC repository using Team Explorer or Git. At that point any Azure DevOps (on prem or cloud) associated with your company email will be shown as an option and you simply choose which one you want to browse the repositories for. Azure DevOps (cloud) is licensed as well so either a DevOps admin has already assigned the user a license (unrelated to any VS licensing) or has configured it to use the VS license (because your company is using an MSDN licensing subscription). It is only at this point where Azure DevOps would become involved.

Live Share is free to use by anyone and anywhere. There is no licensing around it and it is not connected to Azure DevOps in any way. It is just a free extension provided by MS. All you need is a licensed VS copy (which can include the free Commercial edition).

Summary:
Sign In for VS is to your work, generally, email for which someone assigned you a license to use VS. Nothing to do with Azure DevOps.
Team Explorer/Git will show you available DevOps servers (cloud or on premise) based upon any that are associated with your Azure AD (if any) or you have added manually. This licensing is tracked separately and managed by your DevOps team.
If you don't use DevOps, say Github, then you don't need a DevOps license but you still need a VS license.