How to: Manage Windows Azure AD using Windows PowerShell

• Review software requirements
• Install the Windows Azure AD Module
• Connect to Windows Azure AD
• Manage users
• Manage group and role membership
• Manage service principals
• Manage domains
• Manage single sign-on
• Manage subscriptions and licenses
• Manage company information and service
• More about Windows PowerShell
• Additional Resources

The following are required in order to run the Windows Azure Active Directory Module or the Active Directory Federation Services server role in Windows Server® 2012:

• Operating system: Use Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2012.
• Microsoft .NET Framework: You must install the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.51 feature.
• Install Updates: Ensure you have installed all of the required updates required by the Microsoft cloud services to which you have subscribed. For example, some cloud service features may not work properly without the appropriate versions of operating systems, web browsers, and software.
• Install Microsoft Online Services Sign-in Assistant: You must install the appropriate version of the Microsoft Online Services Sign-in Assistant for your operating system from the Microsoft Download Center. Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant for IT Professionals RTW.

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You must install the appropriate version of the Windows Azure AD Module for Windows PowerShell for your operating system from the Microsoft Download Center:

• Windows Azure Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell (32-bit version) 
• Windows Azure Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell (64-bit version)

Important
If you are using Windows PowerShell 2.0 and Single Sign-On, you must use at least Windows PowerShell 2.0, and you must have administrator privileges on the AD FS server. Using remote access to the AD FS server is recommended when you run these cmdlets. To do so, you can use Windows PowerShell remoting. For information, see About_Remote_Requirements.

 

Click the Windows Azure Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell shortcut to open a Windows PowerShell workspace that has the cmdlets. Alternatively, you can load the cmdlets manually by typing import-module MSOnline at the Windows PowerShell command prompt.

Before you can run any of the cmdlets discussed in this article, you must first connect to your online service. To do so, run the cmdlet connect-msolservice at the Windows PowerShell command prompt. You will then be prompted for your credentials. If you want, you can supply your credentials in advance, for example:

$msolcred = get-credential
connect-msolservice -credential $msolcred

The first command prompts for credentials and stores them as $msolcred. The next command uses those credentials as $msolcred to connect to the service.

For more information about the Windows Azure Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell cmdlets, you can do the following:

• To create a folder for help, list the cmdlets, and then open the file in notepad, you can run the following commands at the Windows PowerShell command prompt:
  new-item c:MSOLHelp -type directory
  get-command | Where-Object {$_.name -like "*msol*"} | format-list | Out-File c:MSOLHelpmsolcmdlets.txt
  notepad c:MSOLHelpmsolcmdlets.txt

• View the examples for a cmdlet, run the following command at the Windows PowerShell command prompt: get-help <cmdlet-name> -examples
• View the name, synopsis, description, parameter descriptions, and any examples provided for a cmdlet, run the following command at the Windows PowerShell command prompt: get-help <cmdlet-name> -detailed
• View the name, synopsis, description, detailed parameters, and any examples provided for a cmdlet, run the following command at the Windows PowerShell command prompt: get-help <cmdlet-name> -full

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Use the following cmdlets to perform a variety of tasks related to managing users, passwords, and UPNs.

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Use the following cmdlets to perform a variety of tasks related to group and role membership, including adding a user to a role or group, creating groups, and removing groups.

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Use the following cmdlets to perform a variety of tasks related to service principals.

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Use the following cmdlets to perform a variety of domain management tasks, including creating or removing a domain.

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Use the following cmdlets to perform tasks related to single sign-on, such as adding a new single sign-on domain (also known as identity-federated domain) to Windows Azure AD.

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Use the following cmdlets to manage subscriptions, accounts, and licenses.

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Use the following cmdlets to perform tasks related to managing your company’s information and connecting to a Microsoft cloud service. There are also cmdlets for tasks performed by partner companies.

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Windows PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administration. Unlike most shells, which accept and return text, Windows PowerShell is built on top of the Microsoft .NET Framework common language runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework, and accepts and returns .NET Framework objects. Windows PowerShell introduces the concept of a cmdlet (pronounced “command-let”), a simple, single-function command-line tool built into the shell. Cmdlets have the following naming convention: a verb and noun separated by a dash (-), such as Get-Help, Get-Process, and Start-Service. Windows PowerShell includes more than one hundred basic core cmdlets. For more information about Windows PowerShell, see the Windows PowerShell Getting Started Guide.

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There are several other places you can get more information and help. These include:

• To comment on this content or ask questions about the information presented here, please use our Feedback guidance.
• Windows Azure Active Directory Forum
• Office 365 and Windows Azure Active Directory: Windows PowerShell Content Map
• Windows Azure AD Community Information Center
• Windows Azure Active Directory Community scripts

Concepts

Administering your Windows Azure AD tenant
Install Windows PowerShell on the directory sync computer