Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP1

Topic Last Modified: 2012-07-23

Estimated time to complete: 20 minutes

Active Directory synchronization between your on-premises organization and the cloud-based organization enables a unified global address list (GAL) and gives you the ability to manage all Active Directory user accounts on-premises. All account changes replicate automatically to the cloud-based organization.

Learn more at: Active Directory synchronization: Roadmap

Caution:
This topic is meant to be read as part of the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Office 365 Hybrid Deployment checklist. Information or procedures in this topic may depend on prerequisites configured in topics earlier in the checklist. To view the checklist, see Checklist - Exchange 2003 and Office 365 Hybrid Deployment.

How do I do this?

You can configure Active Directory synchronization for your on-premises organization as follows:

  1. Add an additional physical server to your on-premises organization to support an installation of the Microsoft Online Services Directory Synchronization tool and make sure the server meets the requirements for installing Active Directory synchronization.

  2. Install the Microsoft Online Services Directory Synchronization tool.

  3. Configure Active Directory synchronization between your on-premises organization and the cloud-based organization. Learn more at: Active Directory synchronization: Roadmap

    Important:
    You must select the Enable rich coexistence check box in the Rich Coexistence section of the Microsoft Online Services Directory Synchronization Configuration Wizard when deploying Active Directory synchronization with your hybrid deployment. This selection grants the Microsoft Online Directory Synchronization tool write access to your local Active Directory.

How do I know this worked?

Log on to the administration portal for the cloud-based organization, and verify that all Active Directory user accounts settings have been replicated to the cloud-based organization:

  1. Log on to: Cloud-based service administration portal

  2. Click Admin on the home page.

  3. Click Users in the Management menu to verify that your on-premises users are listed on the cloud-based service.

    Note:
    Just because a user account is displayed here doesn't mean that the user mailbox has been moved to the cloud-based organization. The displayed accounts represent only that a cloud-based organization account has been created for users and that the account credential information has been replicated from the on-premises organization.

Having problems? Ask for help in the Office 365 forums. To access the forums, you'll need to sign in using an account that's granted administrator access to your cloud-based service. Visit the forums at: Office 365 Forums