The Azure Access Control Service (ACS) Migration process is Microsoft’s framework for transitioning legacy authentication workloads to modern cloud identity infrastructure. Azure ACS has been fully retired and no longer authenticates applications. Organizations must upgrade their applications to use Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) or Microsoft Entra External ID to prevent service disruptions. Core Purpose of the Migration
The migration eliminates outdated authentication mechanisms (like legacy SharePoint Add-Ins, client IDs/secrets, and WS-Federation) and replaces them with modern, secure standards. By moving off ACS, you upgrade your identity stack to support OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML 2.0. Key Tools for Streamlining the Upgrade
To successfully transition from ACS without breaking live environments, Microsoft provides a combination of scanning and automation tools:
Microsoft 365 Assessment Tool: This is the primary discovery utility. It scans your active tenant for Azure ACS usage and generates a comprehensive Power BI report mapping out all legacy application principals, validity states, and permission scopes.
PnP PowerShell Automation: Instead of manually registering every app in the cloud, administrators can use PnP PowerShell scripts to automatically re-register legacy applications directly into Microsoft Entra ID.
Azure Migrate Hub: Serves as the centralized, free control center for tracking your overall cloud modernization path, checking application dependencies, and assessing readiness. Migration Pathways & Target Architecture
Depending on how your business originally utilized Azure ACS, you must map workloads to one of three distinct modern alternatives: Original ACS Scenario Recommended Target Identity Service Key Benefits & Features SharePoint & Corporate Apps Microsoft Entra ID
Supports Microsoft Graph API, native OAuth 2.0, and granular cloud access controls. Consumer-Facing / Social Login Microsoft Entra External ID (or B2C)
Integrates Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and personal Microsoft accounts seamlessly. Azure Service Bus & Relay Shared Access Signatures (SAS)
Replaces ACS tokens with localized SAS connection strings and keys. Step-by-Step Migration Framework
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