Tutorial / Cram Notes
Entitlement management in Azure AD identity governance is an advanced feature that allows organizations to manage access to their resources in an efficient and secure manner. It is primarily concerned with automating access request workflows, providing access packages to users, and ensuring compliance with corporate policies.
Understanding Entitlement Packages
An entitlement package in Azure AD is a bundle of resources that a user or a group of users can request access to. These resources could include Azure AD and Office 365 groups, SharePoint sites, and even applications. It simplifies the process of granting and managing permissions by encapsulating them into packages that are tailored for specific roles or functions within the organization.
Planning Entitlement Packages
When planning entitlement packages, consider the following steps:
- Identify the resources that need to be accessed: This includes applications, groups, and SharePoint sites that users will need to perform their duties.
- Define the roles within the organization: Identify different roles and what access each role requires.
- Create access packages for each role: These should include all the resources necessary for a user in that role to be effective.
Example: Entitlement Packages for Different Roles
| Role | Applications | Groups | SharePoint Sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales professional | CRM, Sales software | Sales Team group | Sales documentation site |
| HR manager | HRMS, Payroll app | HR Team group | HR policies site |
| Developer | Dev tools, Git | Developers group | Code repositories site |
Implementing Entitlement Packages
To implement entitlement packages in Azure AD, you will use the Azure portal. Here’s a high-level overview of the process:
- Navigate to Identity Governance: Go to the Azure portal and find the Identity Governance section.
- Create a new access package: Choose the “Entitlement management” area and create a new access package.
- Define the catalog: The catalog is where you group all the resources users can request access to. Each catalog can have one or more access packages.
- Add resources to the access package: Select the specific applications, groups, or SharePoint sites to add.
- Set policies for requesting access: Determine who can request access, how requests are approved, and how long the access lasts.
Access Policies
Access policies are essential in entitlement packages as they dictate:
- Who can request access (e.g., employees, guests)
- The approval process (e.g., automatic approval, requires manager approval)
- Access expiration (e.g., after a project’s end date, after a set number of days)
Example: Access Policy
| Criteria | Sales Access Package | HR Access Package |
|---|---|---|
| Who can request | Employees in the Sales department | HR department employees |
| Approval required | Yes, by the Sales department head | No, automatic for HR department employees |
| Access expiration | 30 days or project completion | 1 year or role change |
Review and Audit
Continuous review and auditing are necessary to keep access control in check. Azure AD provides the following capabilities:
- Access Reviews: Periodically review who has access to what, ensuring that only the right people have access.
- Audit Logs: Keep track of who requested access, who approved it, and any changes to entitlement packages, ensuring accountability and providing valuable insights for compliance.
Conclusion
Entitlement packages are a powerful feature in Azure AD Identity governance that help organizations manage access rights efficiently and securely. By carefully planning, creating tailored access packages, and implementing clear policies, organizations can streamline their access management processes. Regular reviews and audits further enhance security and compliance, making entitlement management a critical practice for modern organizations managing their digital identities in Azure AD.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: In Azure AD, entitlement management is a feature you can use to manage access to groups, applications, and SharePoint Online sites.
- True
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: Azure AD’s entitlement management allows you to manage access within your organization, automating access request workflows, access assignments, reviews, and expiration.
True or False: Azure AD Identity Governance is only available with Azure AD Premium P1 and P2 licenses.
- True
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: Azure AD Identity Governance features, including entitlement management, require Azure AD Premium P1 or P2 licenses.
Which Azure AD feature enables time-limited access to resources with an option for access review?
- A) Conditional Access
- B) Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
- C) Access Packages
- D) Identity Protection
Correct Answer: C) Access Packages
Explanation: Access Packages in Azure AD entitlement management allow for time-limited access to resources with the option to include access reviews.
True or False: When you create an access package in Azure AD entitlement management, you can only set one policy per package.
- False
Correct Answer: False
Explanation: Each access package can have multiple policies that determine who can request the package and the approval workflow.
Who can be a requester of an access package in Azure AD when it is created within entitlement management?
- A) Only internal users
- B) Only external users
- C) Both internal and external users
- D) No one; it is assigned directly by the administrator
Correct Answer: C) Both internal and external users
Explanation: Azure AD entitlement management supports access requests from both internal and external users, giving organizations control over access to their resources.
True or False: All users who are granted access through an access package are automatically assigned a license for the related Azure AD services.
- False
Correct Answer: False
Explanation: Users are granted access through an access package, but they need the appropriate license to use any Azure AD services that are not free.
Which of the following is a necessary step when setting up entitlement management in Azure AD?
- A) Configuring a Conditional Access policy
- B) Enabling Self-Service Password Reset
- C) Creating a catalog
- D) Enabling Azure Multi-Factor Authentication
Correct Answer: C) Creating a catalog
Explanation: To use entitlement management, you need to create a catalog which is a container for access packages, policies, and resources.
True or False: Catalogs in Azure AD entitlement management allow for grouping access packages based on departments or projects.
- True
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: Catalogs are used to organize access packages in a way that makes sense for the organization, such as by department or project.
Which of the following is not a type of policy that can be configured in an entitlement management access package?
- A) Requestor policy
- B) Approval policy
- C) Lifecycle policy
- D) Network location policy
Correct Answer: D) Network location policy
Explanation: Azure AD entitlement management allows for requestor, approval, and lifecycle policies, but there is no specific policy regarding network location within access packages.
True or False: In Azure AD, before users can request an access package, it must be published.
- True
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: An access package must be published before users can request it. Publishing an access package makes it available to potential requesters.
True or False: Access reviews in Azure AD entitlement management are optional and can be skipped if not necessary.
- True
Correct Answer: True
Explanation: Access reviews are a powerful feature in Azure AD entitlement management to ensure appropriate access, but they are not mandatory and can be omitted if the organization deems them unnecessary.
What is the main purpose of implementing entitlement packages in Azure AD Identity Governance?
- A) To manage email policies
- B) To track license usage
- C) To manage access to resources
- D) To enforce device compliance
Correct Answer: C) To manage access to resources
Explanation: The main purpose of entitlement packages (access packages) is to manage users’ access to various resources in a controlled and scalable manner.
Interview Questions
What is entitlement management in Azure AD?
Entitlement management in Azure AD is a set of capabilities that allow administrators to define and manage fine-grained access to resources in a centralized manner.
What is an entitlement?
An entitlement is a unit of access that an identity can be granted to a resource.
What are the key benefits of entitlement management?
The key benefits of entitlement management include increased security, simplified access management, and the ability to monitor and audit access to resources.
What are the two main components of entitlement management?
The two main components of entitlement management are access packages and access reviews.
What is an access package?
An access package is a collection of entitlements that are grouped together to make it easier to assign and manage access.
What is an access review?
An access review is a process that allows administrators to periodically review and certify an identity’s entitlements to resources.
What are the different types of access packages?
There are three types of access packages standard, global, and directory.
What is a standard access package?
A standard access package is a package that is created and managed by a business unit or an application owner.
What is a global access package?
A global access package is a package that is created and managed centrally by the IT department, and can be assigned to users or groups across the organization.
What is a directory access package?
A directory access package is a package that is automatically created for an Azure AD directory and includes default entitlements for all users in the directory.
Great insights on Azure AD Identity Governance! Helped me a lot with my MS-100 preparation.
Does anyone know if entitlement packages can include both on-premises and cloud resources?
I practiced the process of creating and assigning entitlement packages and it was quite challenging initially.
Is it possible to create custom policies for different departments using entitlement packages?
Thanks! This blog clarified many concepts for me.
You should have covered delegation of administration more deeply.
Are there any specific PowerShell cmdlets for managing entitlement packages?
Implementing governance properly reduces a lot of overhead in managing identities and access.