Migrating to Microsoft Azure AD from Okta: A Preplan Guide

As the adoption of Microsoft Azure AD (also known as Azure Active Directory and now referred to as Entra ID) grows, enterprises are increasingly leveraging its capabilities, particularly in terms of identity management. Frequently, companies have already been exposed to the Azure landscape via Office 365 or SharePoint, leading management to seek cost reduction and simplified administration by streamlining management interfaces and reducing environmental complexity. A critical aspect of this transition often involves migrating your identity provider (IdP). In this blog post, we will dive into some considerations you should make before migrating your IdP solution from Okta to Microsoft Azure AD/Entra ID.  

Understanding your current Okta environment is critical to a successful migration. Be certain to have good documentation around each Okta application, including things like SSO policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA) and user provisioning settings. Be mindful of any coupled applications as these may change how you perform the migration of these specific applications.

User profiles lie at the core of identity management and organizations often extend them with custom attributes. Understanding how these custom attributes are currently utilized is crucial so you can replicate their use in Azure AD/Entra ID. When synchronizing user data between Okta and Azure AD/Entra ID, maintaining consistent attribute mappings ensures seamless integration. Make sure you know what each app is using as the primary identifier for the user account. Getting this wrong could lead to duplicate accounts and massive headaches for users.

 It is a good idea to get ahead by setting up your conditional access policies in Azure AD/ Entra ID if you have not already done so. More information from Microsoft for this process can be found {here Configuring Azure Active Directory Conditional Access – Visual Studio App Center | Microsoft Learn}. I recommend setting these to report only while you test and troubleshoot these policies. Next, prepare some communications for your users. You can use Microsoft’s online materials, which include email {templates Download Microsoft Entra end-user rollout templates and materials from Official Microsoft Download Center}  that you can customize and send out. Azure allows you to enroll users per group if you would prefer a staged rollout. Check the reports on Azure to see how your uptake has been for the Authenticator App Enrollment and continue to encourage your users to get enrolled. 

In conclusion, the transition from Okta to Entra ID for identity management is a structured process that requires careful planning and execution. By aligning MFA policies, defining Conditional Access Policies and effectively communicating with users, organizations can ensure a smooth transition. This process, while complex, can lead to improved security and streamlined access management in your organization. Having this information prepared in advance will pave the way for a successful migration. 

Author: Brett Ezell | [email protected]