Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator ExpertImplement and manage Microsoft Entra IDMedium
A company is planning to deploy Microsoft Entra Connect. They have two on-premises Active Directory forests, Forest A and Forest B, both with separate Active Directory schemas. Users in Forest A need to access resources in Microsoft 365, and users in Forest B need to access different resources in Microsoft 365. You need to synchronize users from both forests into a single Microsoft Entra ID tenant. Which deployment topology should you use for Microsoft Entra Connect?
- AMultiple forests, single Microsoft Entra ID tenant
- BStaging server topology
- CMultiple forests, multiple Microsoft Entra ID tenants
- DSingle forest, single Microsoft Entra ID tenant
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Multiple forests, single Microsoft Entra ID tenant
The 'Multiple forests, single Microsoft Entra ID tenant' topology is designed for scenarios where an organization has multiple on-premises Active Directory forests and wants to synchronize all users into a single Microsoft Entra ID tenant for unified management and access to Microsoft 365 services.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Staging server topology is a deployment method for high availability or testing, not a primary forest-to-tenant topology.
- C. This topology is for organizations needing separate cloud tenants, which is not stated in the scenario.
- D. This applies to a single on-premises forest, not two as described.
Microsoft Entra Connect Topologies - Multiple Forests
Deployment configurations for Microsoft Entra Connect when synchronizing identities from more than one on-premises Active Directory forest.
- Common scenarios include mergers, acquisitions, or complex enterprise structures.
- A single Microsoft Entra Connect server or multiple servers (one per forest) can be used.
- Requires careful planning for identity matching and attribute flow to ensure unique user identities in Entra ID.
Memory trick: Connect Forests to Cloud, Choose Your Path.