Azure AD

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is the former name for Microsoft's cloud identity service. In 2023 Microsoft renamed it to Microsoft Entra ID; the product is unchanged but the branding shifted, and a handful of related tool names changed too (for example, "Azure AD Connect" became "Microsoft Entra Connect"). You'll still see "Azure AD" widely in older docs, in API endpoint hostnames like login.microsoftonline.com, and on the on-premises connector. Azure AD is also distinct from on-premises Active Directory Domain Services; the two share concepts but are different products with different protocols.