Planning for application registrations is an integral aspect of preparing for the SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam. This process involves creating an application registration in the Azure portal, which enables the application to be integrated with the Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) for identity services such as sign-in and authorization.
Core Components of an Application Registration
Before delving into the specifics, let’s first understand the core components of an application registration:
- Application object: This represents the application from a development perspective. It contains the settings that apply to all instances of your application and its associated service principal across all organizations.
- Service principal object: This represents the application from a deployment perspective. This object works as the instance of the associated application objects and helps manage the permissions that control what the application can actually do.
Key Steps to Plan for Application Registrations
Here are the key steps to plan for application registrations:
Step 1: Create an Application in the Azure Portal
The first step is to create an application in the Azure portal. Once you’re on the portal,
- Navigate to Azure Active Directory -> App Registrations -> New Registration.
- Provide a name to the application.
- Choose the supported account type that suits the scenario of your application.
Step 2: Configure the Application
After the application has been created, you would need to configure it to enable the required functionalities. This includes:
- Specifying redirect URIs: These are the endpoints to which the authentication response will be sent. The chosen URIs are dependent on your application type (public client or web app) or platform.
- Creating client secrets: These are used in the process of obtaining tokens.
Step 3: Define Application’s API Permissions
You can add API permissions based on the tasks that are to be performed by the application. These permissions can be Microsoft Graph permissions or any other service API permissions.
Step 4: Grant Admin Consent to APIs
In the case where your application requires access to APIs that require admin consent, you can grant the required permissions to enable your application to access such APIs.
Having understood the steps involved in planning for application registrations, the next logical step in preparing for the SC-300 exam would be to dive deep into each of these stages and understand them in detail.
Example
To give an idea about how these steps are realized, below is an example of how you might configure a Redirect URI:
app = ConfidentialClientApplication(
config['client_id'], authority=config['authority'],
client_credential=config['client_secret'],
# Here we specify a Redirect URI of http://localhost
redirect_uri="http://localhost",
)
Summary
In summary, planning for application registrations involves creating and setting up your application in the Azure portal, configuring it based on the functionalities needed, setting up API permissions for your application to perform certain tasks and granting admin consent to APIs when necessary.
Remember that the specifics of these steps can vary based on the nature of the application and its requirements. Hence, a thorough understanding of the application registration process and the among other associated concepts, will prove beneficial in preparing for the SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam.
Practice Test
True or False: Before starting with the registration of an application in Azure portal, one needs to determine whether the application is a public client or confidential client.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: It’s important and necessary to understand if the application is a public client application or confidential client application, as it determines whether you will be able to treat the application’s credentials as confidential.
Single Select: Which of the following is not a part of the planning process for application registrations.
- A. Identification of application types
- B. Defining correct permissions for client applications
- C. Designing the application UI
- D. Defining roles
Answer: C. Designing the application UI
Explanation: Designing the application UI (User Interface) has no direct relation to application registrations. It is mainly related to the user experience while the other options fall under application registration planning.
True or False: Directory (tenant) ID is not a required field while registering an application in Azure AD.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Directory (tenant) ID is one of the details that is required when registering an application in Azure AD. It’s used to uniquely identify the tenant.
Single Select: Which certificate type does Azure AD use in application registration?
- A. X.509
- B. SSL
- C. PGP
- D. None of the above
Answer: A. X.509
Explanation: Azure AD uses X.509 certificates for client authentication during application registration.
Multiple Select: Select the necessary fields to register an application in the Azure portal.
- A. Application ID
- B. Application Category
- C. Directory (tenant) ID
- D. Redirect URI
Answer: A. Application ID, C. Directory (tenant) ID, D. Redirect URI
Explanation: To register an application in Azure portal, the following fields are necessary: Application ID, Directory (tenant) ID, and Redirect URI. Application Category is not required.
True or False: Any global administrator can consent to application permissions.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Global administrator accounts can provide consent to permissions requested by the application registration on behalf of the entire tenant.
Single Select: Which one is not an endpoint in application registration?
- A. Authorization
- B. Token
- C. Logout
- D. Routing
Answer: D. Routing
Explanation: Authorization, token, and logout are the endpoints provided in Azure AD application registration. Routing does not fall under it.
Multiple Select: Which permissions need to be defined in application registration?
- A. Write
- B. Read
- C. Delete
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: All permissions, including Write, Read, and Delete, need to be defined in the Azure AD application registration.
Single Select: What kind of applications can be registered in Azure AD?
- A. Web apps and API
- B. Native apps
- C. Single-page apps
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Azure AD supports registration of various kinds of apps including Web apps and API, Native apps, and Single-page apps.
True or False: For a single tenant application, the Allow public client flows option must be set to yes.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The Allow public client flows option depends on whether you want to allow the public client flow for an application or not, not the type (single tenant or multi-tenant) of the application.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of application registrations in Azure Active Directory?
Application registrations in Azure Active Directory allow your app to communicate with Azure AD, enabling it to have a set of access rights within your directory.
In Azure AD, where can you manage permissions for an application registration?
You can manage permissions for an application registration in Azure AD within the API permissions section of the app registration.
Which Azure portal blade do you use to register a new application in Azure AD?
To register a new application in Azure AD, you need to use the “App registrations” blade in the Azure Active Directory portal.
What are the two options for the supported account types when registering an application in Azure AD?
The two options are “Accounts in this organizational directory only” or “Accounts in any organizational directory and personal Microsoft accounts”.
What does the Redirect URI in an Azure AD application registration specify?
The Redirect URI specifies where Azure AD will send the response after an authentication request.
How can you get the Application (client) ID for an application registered in Azure AD?
The Application (client) ID is listed in the Overview section of the app registration in the Azure AD portal.
Can a single application registration have multiple redirect URIs in Azure AD?
Yes, a single application registration can have multiple redirect URIs in Azure AD.
Can an application registration in Azure AD have more than one client secret?
Yes, an application registration in Azure AD can have more than one client secret.
What role does a client secret play in application registration in Azure AD?
A client secret is a credential used to authenticate the app to Azure AD when requesting a token.
How can application permissions be granted in Azure AD application registration?
Application permissions can be granted in Azure AD application registration from the API permissions tab.
What is the purpose of the manifest file in the application registration in Azure AD?
The manifest file in the application registration stores the configuration details of the application, such as appId and passwordCredentials.
Can an application registration in Azure AD expire?
While the application registration itself does not expire, the certificates and secrets associated with it can.
What does the application ID URI do in Azure AD application registration?
The application ID URI is a unique identifier for the application represented as a URL.
How do you secure the client secret for an application registration in Azure AD?
You should protect the client secret by storing it securely, such as in Azure Key Vault.
What’s the difference between delegated permissions and application permissions in Azure AD application registration?
Delegated permissions are used by apps that act on behalf of a user, while application permissions are used by apps that run as a background service or daemon.