Azure AD Connect is the Microsoft tool designed to meet and accomplish hybrid identity goals. Its primary function is to synchronize identity data, such as users and groups, from an on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) environment to a cloud-based Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) tenant. It also facilitates authentication methods like Password Hash Synchronization (PHS), Pass-through Authentication (PTA), and federation integration, enabling a unified identity for users across both on-premises and cloud resources.

A. Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS): AD FS is a service that provides federated identity for single sign-on (SSO) but does not perform the synchronization of identity objects itself.

B. Azure Sentinel: Azure Sentinel is a cloud-native Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solution, used for threat detection and response, not identity synchronization.

D. Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM): PIM is an Azure AD service for managing, controlling, and monitoring access to privileged roles. It does not synchronize identities from on-premises directories.

1. Microsoft Learn. "What is Azure AD Connect?" Microsoft Entra Documentation. This document explicitly states

"Azure AD Connect is the Microsoft tool designed to meet and accomplish your hybrid identity goals. It provides the following features: ... Synchronization - Responsible for creating users

groups

and other objects. As well as

making sure identity information for your on-premises users and groups is matching the cloud."

2. Microsoft Learn. "Describe the function and identity types of hybrid identity." SC-900: Microsoft Security

Compliance

and Identity Fundamentals. In the "Explore Azure AD Connect" section

it details that "Azure AD Connect is the tool you use to connect your on-premises Active Directory infrastructure to Microsoft Azure AD."

3. Microsoft Learn. "What is hybrid identity with Azure Active Directory?" Microsoft Entra Documentation. This article clarifies the role of different components in a hybrid setup

identifying Azure AD Connect as the core component for synchronization. It states

"To synchronize the users from your on-premises environment to your cloud environment you install Azure AD Connect."