Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator ExpertDeploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenantMedium
A Microsoft 365 administrator is responsible for managing user accounts and licenses in a large organization. A new department, 'Research & Development', has been created, and all 150 employees in this department require a Microsoft 365 E5 license. These employees are already members of an on-premises Active Directory security group named 'SG-R&D'. The administrator wants to automate license assignment for current and future members of this group. Which method should the administrator use?
- AImplement Azure AD group-based licensing for the 'SG-R&D' security group.
- BUse PowerShell scripts to assign licenses to users based on their department attribute.
- CManually assign E5 licenses to each user in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- DCreate a custom administrative unit and assign licenses within that unit.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Implement Azure AD group-based licensing for the 'SG-R&D' security group.
Azure AD group-based licensing allows administrators to assign one or more product licenses to a security group. Azure AD then ensures that licenses are assigned to all members of the group, and automatically assigns licenses to new members and removes them from users who leave the group, automating the process.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. PowerShell can automate license assignment, but group-based licensing is a built-in, more robust, and easier-to-manage solution for this specific scenario.
- C. Manual assignment is inefficient and error-prone for a large number of users and doesn't automate future assignments.
- D. Administrative units are for delegating administrative permissions over a subset of users, not for automating license assignment.
Azure AD Group-based Licensing
A feature in Azure AD that allows administrators to assign Microsoft 365 product licenses to security groups, automating license assignment and removal for group members.
- Supports both assigned and dynamic security groups.
- Automates license management as users join or leave groups.
- Simplifies license administration for large organizations.
Memory trick: Group-based licensing is like a smart license vending machine for your teams.