App Registration vs Enterprise Applications

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1. App Registration:

App Registration is the process of registering an application in Azure AD so that it can authenticate users and interact with Azure AD or other resources (e.g., Microsoft Graph API, Office 365).

App Registration focuses on the application's identity, and its primary purpose is to define how an application (either custom or third-party) will authenticate and request access to resources, using OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, or other authentication protocols.

Key Points:

  • Defines the app's identity: It gives the application a unique Application (Client) ID and Tenant ID.

  • Used for building and integrating apps: Typically, developers use app registration to configure their own apps (custom applications) or third-party apps to interact with Azure AD.

  • App-level configuration: It allows you to define settings like redirect URIs, API permissions, and client secrets or certificates.

  • Required for cloud apps: It's the first step in enabling SSO (Single Sign-On) and managing authentication for cloud-based apps or services that want to interact with Azure AD.

2. Enterprise Applications:

An Enterprise Application in Azure AD refers to the instance of an application that has been added and configured to work within a specific Azure AD tenant. It's essentially a configuration that allows you to manage how users within your organization interact with applications that have been registered in Azure AD.

While App Registration is about creating an app identity, Enterprise Applications are the configuration of those apps within the context of your organization in Azure AD.

Key Points:

  • Represents a service instance in your organization: After registering an app in Azure AD (e.g., via App Registration), it becomes an Enterprise Application in the Azure AD tenant. This allows you to manage users' access and set policies like Single Sign-On (SSO), User Assignments, API permissions, and more.

  • Used for managing user access: You can assign users, groups, and roles to control who can access the application.

  • User and access management: It's where you configure Single Sign-On (SSO), Conditional Access, audit logs, and role assignments.

  • Includes both Azure AD and third-party applications: This section contains Microsoft services (e.g., Office 365), third-party applications (e.g., Salesforce), and on-premises applications (e.g., using the Azure AD Application Proxy).

🔑 Key Differences:

AspectApp RegistrationEnterprise Applications
DefinitionThe process of registering an application to integrate with Azure AD.The instance of an app configured in Azure AD for user and access management.
FocusConfiguring how an app will authenticate and access resources.Managing user access to the app, configuring SSO, permissions, and roles.
Where It’s ManagedManaged in Azure AD → App registrations section.Managed in Azure AD → Enterprise applications section.
Who Uses ItDevelopers register their own or third-party apps to integrate with Azure AD.Azure AD administrators manage user access to the apps that are registered in the tenant.
Main ConfigurationAuthentication settings (client ID, client secret, redirect URI, permissions).User assignments, SSO, conditional access policies, app roles, and access management.
App TypeUsed for cloud apps, custom apps, or third-party apps to authenticate with Azure AD.Used for managing how the application is used and accessed within your organization.

🧰 Examples:

  • App Registration:

    • You register a custom application, like a web app or a mobile app, in Azure AD to authenticate users using OAuth 2.0 or OpenID Connect. You'll configure redirect URIs, client secrets, and define the app's permissions.

  • Enterprise Application:

    • After registering an app in Azure AD, the admin will go to the Enterprise Applications section to assign specific users, configure Single Sign-On (SSO), or apply Conditional Access policies to control who has access to the app.

📦 Real-World Example:

  1. App Registration Example:

    • A company builds a custom app for their internal team. The developer registers the app in Azure AD to enable authentication. This gives the app a unique client ID and sets up its permissions to access Microsoft Graph (e.g., to read users' calendars).

  2. Enterprise Application Example:

    • An admin adds the custom app as an Enterprise Application to manage access for users. They configure SSO, assign roles to different teams (e.g., Admin, Manager, User), and apply a Conditional Access policy to ensure users only access the app from a compliant device.

🚀 When Do You Use Each?

  • Use App Registration when you're a developer or you want to enable your application to authenticate using Azure AD and integrate with Azure AD's security model.

  • Use Enterprise Applications when you're an administrator who needs to manage user access to those applications, set policies like SSO, and monitor app usage.

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