Azure DevOps and Entra ID Integration

Introduction

• Integrating Azure DevOps with Entra ID (Entra ID) for Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)-based authentication allows you to centrally manage identities and enforce secure access to your DevOps environment.
• This integration enables users to sign in to Azure DevOps using their Entra ID credentials and control access via RBAC, aligning with your organization’s security policies.

Step-by-Step Guide for Integration:

Step 1: Connect Azure DevOps Organization to Entra ID

1. Sign in to Azure DevOps:
   • Go to Azure DevOps and sign in using your Microsoft account.
2. Navigate to Organization Settings:
   • Once signed in, select your organization from the dropdown in the top-left corner.
   • In the sidebar, select Organization settings.
3. Connect to Entra ID:
   • In the Settings page, Select Entra ID in the left sidebar.
   • Click on Connect directory.
4. Select an Entra ID Tenant:
   • A new screen will open showing a list of Entra ID tenants that your account is associated with.
   • Choose the appropriate Entra ID tenant for your organization and click Connect.
   • Note: Only users who are Entra ID tenant administrators or have the necessary permissions can perform this action.
5. Confirm and Connect:
   • Once you select the directory, confirm the connection by reviewing the details, then click Connect.
   • This connects your Azure DevOps organization with Entra ID, allowing you to manage users and access control via Entra ID.

Step 2: Assign Users to Azure DevOps Using Entra ID

1. Add Users via Entra ID:
   • In Entra ID, navigate to Entra ID > Users > New User.
   • Add the new users or invite guest users (B2B collaboration) as necessary.
2. Assign Users to Azure DevOps Project:
   • In Azure DevOps, navigate to your project and go to Project Settings.
   • Under the Security section, select Users.
   • Click Add and search for the Entra ID users you wish to assign.
   • Assign the appropriate role (e.g., Contributor, Reader, Project Admin) based on their responsibilities.
   • Azure DevOps automatically syncs the user identities from Entra ID, and you can enforce access controls based on these users.

Step 3: Configure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

• Azure DevOps provides granular RBAC, allowing you to assign specific roles to users based on their responsibilities.
• Roles can be assigned at the organization, project, or repository level.

1. Built-in Roles in Azure DevOps:
   • Azure DevOps comes with several pre-defined roles that you can assign to users, such as:
   • Project Reader: Can view all project details but cannot make any changes.
   • Contributor: Can contribute to the project (push code, work with pipelines, etc.).
   • Project Administrator: Can manage all aspects of the project, including user roles.
2. Assign Roles in Azure DevOps:
   • You can assign roles at various levels within Azure DevOps, including at the organization, project, or team level.
   • At the Organization Level:
     • Go to Organization Settings > Permissions.
     • Select a user or group, then assign the role like Administrator or User.
   • At the Project Level:
     • Go to Project Settings > Permissions.
     • Add users or groups, then assign roles like Project Reader, Contributor, or Project Admin.
   • At the Repository Level:
     • Navigate to the repository in Azure DevOps.
     • Under Project Settings > Repositories, choose the repository.
     • Go to Security and assign roles such as Reader, Contributor, or Administrator for specific users.
3. Custom Role Definitions:
   • While Azure DevOps does not natively support fully custom roles like Entra ID, you can define detailed permissions for specific tasks by controlling security at different scopes such as builds, pipelines, and work items.
   • In Project Settings, navigate to the specific area (e.g., Pipelines, Artifacts, Repos).
   • Define custom permissions by selecting Security and configuring detailed actions such as Create, Delete, Manage, or Read for each resource.
4. Step 4: Enable Conditional Access Policies (Optional)
   • To further secure your Azure DevOps environment, you can configure Conditional Access policies through Entra ID.
   • Sign in to Entra ID:
   • Go to the Azure Portal, navigate to Entra ID > Security > Conditional Access.
   • Create a New Policy:
   • Click New policy and configure the conditions (e.g., apply policies based on the user’s location, device compliance, or multifactor authentication).
   • Under Cloud apps, select Azure DevOps as the target application. - Enforce Policy:
   • Define the specific conditions under which the policy should be enforced, like requiring multifactor authentication (MFA) for accessing Azure DevOps.
   • Enable the policy and save it.
5. Step 5: Monitor and Audit Access
   • Monitor Access via Entra ID Logs:
   • You can monitor user access through Entra ID logs, available in the Entra ID section under Sign-ins. This helps audit who has accessed Azure DevOps and under what conditions.
   • Audit User Activity in Azure DevOps:
   • Azure DevOps provides detailed audit logs that record activities performed within the organization. You can access these logs under Organization Settings > Audit logs.

Benefits of Entra ID Integration with Azure DevOps

1. Centralized Identity Management: Manage users, groups, and access control in a centralized Entra ID interface, reducing complexity and improving security.
2. RBAC Enforcement: Enforce precise access control using RBAC policies, ensuring that only authorized users have the required level of access.
3. Single Sign-On (SSO): Users can sign in to Azure DevOps using their Entra ID credentials, simplifying the login process and improving the user experience.
4. Enhanced Security: Conditional Access and multifactor authentication (MFA) provide an additional layer of security, protecting sensitive DevOps environments.
5. Audit and Compliance: With Entra ID and Azure DevOps integration, organizations can ensure compliance with security and audit requirements by monitoring access and activity through detailed logs.