Microsoft Access with linked Azure SQL Server tables for Azure AD joined PCs which are not federated - clunky for users

Question

I have a Microsoft Access application that uses Azure SQL Server tables for its backend.  I am in Windows 10 and the Windows 10 PC is joined to Azure Active Directory/Intune.  There is no local Windows Server AD service, this is a small IT-lite company hoping to be mostly cloud based.

What I want to do is stream-line the user's use of the application.  With local SQL Servers and a Windows Server AD service running, folks logged onto the domain are able to use Windows Integrated authentication and never have to enter any logins or passwords to run an Access application.  This is done by both linking the tables using Windows Integrated authentication, and specifying 'Trusted Connection=Yes' in the connection string for ADODB connections I use to execute SQL against the database.

However for the setup here, I have to always enter the user's ID and password twice to make the application function properly.  The first time is to specify what UID and PWD will be used in the Connection String for ADODB because currently there is no way to use any integrated type of Authentication on a non-federated client (I specify 'AUTHENTICATION=ActiveDirectoryPassword' in the connection string).  Thereafter it is required again in an Access specific screen to re-authenticate all the linked tables in the database, because I don't save the password for the tables (which gets saved in clear text if you know where to look, and, is user-specific).  The screen in question is pictured below, and it always pre-populates with the Windows Username which corresponds to the Azure AD 'Name' with spaces omitted rather than the Azure AD 'User Name' (which is an email address) which is what needs to be used to log in to Azure AD this way.  This also all has to be done with the password saved in clear text.

1. Would it be possible to use integrated authentication on Azure AD joined but non-federated clients any time in the future and avoid the user having to enter any credentials in the application?
2. If not, would it be possible to automatically populate the below screen in access somehow so that the user only has to enter the credentials once and they can then be re-used in this screen?  I would still have to have the password clear-text somewhere in the application under this scenario, but that was the case with SQL Authentication too.  I don't want to have to manually create the table definitions every single time a user logs in as it is quite time consuming once you get to a higher number of cloud based tables (100+).

Answer 1

Hi Ian,

Did you check the above reply? If you still need help, please update us.

Regards,

Neha

Answer 2

Hi Ian,

For your requirement, please check the following articles. Azure Active Directory Seamless Single Sign-On (Azure AD Seamless SSO) automatically signs users in when they are on their corporate devices connected to the corporate network. When enabled, users don't need to type in their passwords to sign in to Azure AD.

Azure Active Directory Seamless Single Sign-On

Azure Active Directory Seamless Single Sign-On: Quick start

Thanks,

Neha