Updated March 15, 2022: Microsoft have updated the content below with additional information. Thank you for your feedback.
- Microsoft will not retire the Azure AD Graph API on June 30, 2022. Listening closely to your feedback about the challenges of migrating such a critical dependency, Microsoft are delaying the retirement date through at least the end of this year. We’ll provide a retirement update mid-calendar year with information on additional tools to assist with your migration. For more information, see Migrate Azure AD Graph apps to Microsoft Graph – Microsoft Graph | Microsoft Docs.
- Microsoft will continue to retire the Azure AD Graph and MSOnline PowerShell licensing assignment APIs and PowerShell cmdlets on August 26, 2022. Please migrate your apps to access the license managements APIs from Microsoft Graph. For more information, visit Migrate your apps to access the license managements APIs from Microsoft Graph – Microsoft Tech Commu...
- Microsoft stated before that if you’re using the Azure AD PowerShell or MSOnline PowerShell modules to manage Azure AD, Microsoft encourage you to try the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK. The Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK continues to be where all our current and future PowerShell investments are being made. In light of the announcement to not turn off the Azure AD Graph API on June 30th, our goal is to also provide guidance and tools for migrating existing scripts and PowerShell processes, reliant on the Azure AD Graph API and MSOnline module, to the Microsoft Graph PowerShell SDK. This is due to the planned retirement of the two PowerShell modules (MSOL & AAD) after December 2022. Check out more information here and here.
Today, as communicated on Tech Community, Microsoft are providing a reminder that the end of support for Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Graph will be on June 30, 2022. Apps using Azure AD Graph after this time will no longer receive responses from the Azure AD Graph endpoint. Since the Azure AD Graph APIs are being retired, Microsoft are also retiring the license assignment operation in the MSOnline and Azure AD PowerShell modules.
Note: If you don’t use Azure AD Graph API, do license management through MSOnline/AzureAD PowerShell, or manage licenses for your organization, you can safely disregard this message.
Key points
- Timing: June 30, 2022
- Control type: user control / admin control
- Action: review, assess and update existing applications to access the license assignment APIs from the Microsoft Graph endpoint and update your scripts to use license assignment cmdlets from the Microsoft Graph PowerShell module to reduce the impact on operations. Other operations in the MSOnline and Azure AD PowerShell modules won’t be impacted.
Below are some of the operations that will no longer receive a successful response beginning on June 30, 2022.
| Existing operation (will no longer receive a successful response) | Microsoft Graph equivalent to use going forward |
|---|---|
MSOnline PowerShell
|
Microsoft Graph PowerShell |
Azure AD PowerShell
|
Microsoft Graph PowerShell |
Azure AD Graph API (graph.windows.net)
|
Microsoft Graph API |
What’s next
New license management platform:
The current license management features have grown to address the needs of our customers, with key innovations like group-based licensing. But as the needs of our customers have evolved, Microsoft decided to rebuild online services licensing platform from the ground up. Below is an early look into future changes to the platform, designed with four key goals in mind:
- Flexibility: Expanding beyond a single administration structure, single megalithic pool of seats, or even a single tenant.
- Simplicity: Reducing unnecessary complexity and simplify getting your licenses to your users.
- Speed: Gaining quick access to what you’ve purchased.
- Accuracy: Reflecting what you have purchased and the licenses you have available to assign.
Realizing the entire vision will take time, today Microsoft are sharing the first milestone in this journey. Starting in the first quarter of 2022, customers can opt-in to use the new license management platform. Here are the features you will see as part of this milestone:
- Allotments will help you separate your licenses into smaller batches so you can set limits on how many licenses are used, and delegate ownership to manage them.
- Group licensing will be extended. In the new licensing platform, Azure AD Premium or Office 365 E3 will no longer be required to use group-based licensing for license assignments. In addition, nested groups will now work for license assignments.
- New license types, including device-based licenses and ISV app licensing, will work natively on the new platform.
In the future, look forward to hearing more about the new license management platform via MC communications, including how to get started using it and details on new API and PowerShell options to leverage the new features.
Message ID: MC281145
Published: 26 August 2021
Updated: 15 March 2022
Effective: 30 June 2022
Action required by: 26 August 2022
Platform: Developer, Online, World tenant
