Entra ID Connect (formerly Azure AD Connect) is the enterprise bridge connecting on-premises Active Directory Domain Services with Microsoft 365 and Entra ID cloud identity infrastructure.
Hybrid Identity Authentication Methods
When deploying Entra ID Connect, architects select between three primary identity validation models: – Password Hash Sync (PHS): Synchronizes double-hashed credentials to cloud. High availability, minimal on-prem dependency. – Pass-Through Authentication (PTA): Validates passwords directly against on-prem DCs via outbound agents over port 443. – Federation (AD FS): Delegates authentication to on-premises AD FS servers for advanced claim rules.