Entra.Chat
Entra.Chat
Podcast Description
Entra Chat is a weekly podcast hosted by Merill Fernando and delivers practical insights for Microsoft administrators and security professionals through conversations with identity experts who've been in the trenches.
Episodes feature seasoned Entra practitioners sharing real-world deployment experiences and Microsoft Entra team members who build the features you use daily.
Get the inside track on best practices, implementation strategies, and upcoming capabilities directly from those who design and deploy Microsoft identity solutions.
Join us for actionable takeaways you can apply immediately in your Microsoft 365, Azure, and Entra environments.
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Entra.Chat, its content and opinions are my (Merill Fernando) own and do not reflect the views of my employer (Microsoft). All postings are provided “AS IS” with no warranties and is not supported by the author. All trademarks and copyrights belong to their owners and are used for identification only. entra.news
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on Microsoft Entra, identity management, and security practices with episodes covering topics like 'From Okta to Entra: Migrating 700 Apps in 90 Days' and best practices for implementation strategies. The content emphasizes practical advice directly applicable in Microsoft 365, Azure, and Entra environments.
Entra Chat is a weekly podcast hosted by Merill Fernando and delivers practical insights for Microsoft administrators and security professionals through conversations with identity experts who’ve been in the trenches.
Episodes feature seasoned Entra practitioners sharing real-world deployment experiences and Microsoft Entra team members who build the features you use daily.
Get the inside track on best practices, implementation strategies, and upcoming capabilities directly from those who design and deploy Microsoft identity solutions.
Join us for actionable takeaways you can apply immediately in your Microsoft 365, Azure, and Entra environments.
—
Entra.Chat, its content and opinions are my (Merill Fernando) own and do not reflect the views of my employer (Microsoft). All postings are provided “AS IS” with no warranties and is not supported by the author. All trademarks and copyrights belong to their owners and are used for identification only.
Join us for a conversation with Dhanyah Krishnamoorthy, Product Manager at Microsoft, as she discusses Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and Cloud Sync solutions for synchronizing on-premises Active Directory identities to Entra ID.
Learn about Microsoft’s overall strategy for syncing and what you can do to prepare for the future including security considerations and scaling guidance.
Subscribe with your favorite podcast player or watch on YouTube 👇
About Dhanyah
Dhanyah Krishnamurthy is a Principal Product Manager in the Microsoft Entra product group. For the past four years, Dhanyah has focused on hybrid identity scenarios, leading the product management for critical services that help organizations manage identities between on-premises Active Directory and the cloud. She specifically owns Microsoft Entra Connect Sync and the newer Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync capabilities, designing solutions to streamline identity provisioning, enhance security, and support complex scenarios like mergers and acquisitions.
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhanyah
🔗 Related Links
* Hybrid Identity – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/hybrid/
* Comparison between Microsoft Entra Connect and cloud sync – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/hybrid/cloud-sync/what-is-cloud-sync
* Topologies for Microsoft Entra Connect – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/hybrid/connect/plan-connect-topologies
* Factors influencing the performance of Microsoft Entra Connect – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/hybrid/connect/plan-connect-performance-factors
* Group writeback with Microsoft Entra Cloud Sync – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/hybrid/group-writeback-cloud-sync
📗 Chapters
00:00 Intro
03:16 Why Two Sync Solutions? Connect Sync vs Cloud Sync History
05:17 Benefits of Cloud Sync vs Connect Sync
06:23 Cloud Sync Advantage: Mergers & Acquisitions
08:16 Cloud Sync Advantages: Lightweight, High Availability, Simplicity
10:17 Shared Provisioning Agent Benefits
10:59 Future Plans: Investing in Cloud Sync
12:11 Coexistence: Using Cloud Sync & Connect Sync Together
13:25 Getting Started with Cloud Sync: Group Writeback & Acquisitions
15:56 Choosing the Right Tool: When to Use Cloud Sync
16:34 Using the Sync Wizard for Recommendations
18:03 Operational Differences & Admin Roles
19:53 Group Writeback Scaling Considerations
22:31 Common Customer Issues: Topologies & Configuration
25:36 Scaling Guidance: When to Worry About Performance
29:12 Security Considerations: Connect Sync vs Cloud Sync
30:41 Connect Sync Security Hardening & Updates
33:40 Cloud Sync Security & GMSA Accounts
35:16 Final Thoughts & Call to Action
Podcast Apps
🎙️ Entra.Chat → https://entra.chat
🎧 Apple Podcast → https://entra.chat/apple
📺 YouTube → https://entra.chat/youtube
📺 Spotify → https://entra.chat/spotify
🎧 Overcast → https://entra.chat/overcast
🎧 Pocketcast → https://entra.chat/pocketcast
🎧 Others → https://entra.chat/rss
Merill’s socials
📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@merillx
👔 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/merill
🐤 Twitter → twitter.com/merill
🕺 TikTok → tiktok.com/@merillf
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🐘 Mastodon → infosec.exchange/@merill
🧵 Threads → threads.net/@merillf
🤖 GitHub → github.com/merill
Get full access to Entra.News – Your weekly dose of Microsoft Entra at entra.news/subscribe
Disclaimer
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