Share via

Azure AD Connect cloud sync and Exchange Online only?

Christian Schmitt 1 Reputation point
2021-11-23T12:02:17.2+00:00

Hello,

we are using Exchange Online and currently have a Hybrid Server still running to create cloud mailboxes and other stuff since we are using "Azure AD Connect".
However we do not have local Mailboxes and do not use the Hybrid Server at all.

We also plan to migrate to "Azure AD Connect cloud sync" from "Azure AD Connect", is it correct that Exchange Online is supported in that configuration? i.e. we can just remove our exchange hybrid server and ADSync and start using Azure AD Connect cloud sync?
We actually have devices that are hybrid joined, however we also plan to migrate them to azure ad joined only. But newly devices are joined azure ad only, so we never create new devices in hybrid mode.

so would it be possible to remove "azure ad connect" in favor of "cloud sync" and remove the last exchange server (only used for management)?

I could not find any useful information about it and no good guide about it.

Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID
A Microsoft Entra identity service that provides identity management and access control capabilities. Replaces Azure Active Directory.
20,645 questions
0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Andy David - MVP 145.6K Reputation points MVP
    2021-11-23T12:13:44.727+00:00

    Cloud Sync does sync Exchange Attributes, so though not supported for hybrid since there is no writeback to on-prem, it should work -

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/cloud-sync/what-is-cloud-sync

    however its still not technically supported to remove the last Exch Server on-prem since you are still syncing from on-prem to Azure.

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/decommission-on-premises-exchange