Microsoft will Remove License Management from Entra ID Portal on September 1st, 2024

 Microsoft will Remove License Management from Entra ID Portal on 
September 1st, 2024

Starting September 1st, 2024, Microsoft will implement a significant change in how administrators manage licenses, removing the ability to do so directly from the Entra ID admin portal. This change is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to streamline and consolidate administrative tasks within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, particularly the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

What Does This Change Mean?

Previously, administrators could manage licenses directly through the Entra ID portal, assigning and revoking licenses for users and groups, monitoring license usage, and troubleshooting issues. However, after September 1st, 2024, these capabilities will no longer be available in the Entra ID portal. Instead, all license management tasks will need to be performed through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Key Impacts of the Change

1.      Transition to Microsoft 365 Admin Center:

All license management tasks, including assignment and monitoring, will now be handled within the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This shift centralizes the license management process but requires administrators to adapt to the new environment.

2.      Loss of Certain Features:

The Microsoft 365 Admin Center, while robust, lacks some of the specific features that were available in the Entra ID portal. For example, administrators might miss the detailed conflict warnings and at-a-glance visibility of license assignments that were more readily accessible in Entra ID.

Dynamic group creation, which is essential for automated license assignments, is not yet available in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This functionality will still need to be managed separately within Entra ID.

3.      Monitoring and Error Handling:

The Entra ID portal provided clear and immediate feedback on licensing errors, including conflict resolution and status messages. The Microsoft 365 Admin Center does not yet offer the same level of transparency, making it more challenging to diagnose and resolve licensing issues.

Administrators are encouraged to set up alerts and monitoring systems to keep track of license assignments and potential errors since the new system does not yet provide built-in notifications for licensing issues.

4.      Preparing for the Change:

Organizations should begin transitioning their license management workflows to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center ahead of the September 1st deadline. Familiarizing staff with the new tools and processes will be essential to minimize disruptions.

Microsoft may introduce updates to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center to address some of the gaps left by the removal of licensing management from Entra ID, but until then, administrators must rely on proactive monitoring and third-party tools.

It is now possible to manage license assignments, including for Dynamic Groups, via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center so long as you have at least a Microsoft Entra ID P1 license. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you to easily assign licenses via the portal.

1. Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Sign in with an account that has the License Administrator role or higher assigned.

2.   Once logged in, go to the Billing tab and select Licenses.

3.  Choose the subscription which you want to manage license assignments.

4.  By default, the Users tab will be selected. Here, you can assign licenses to individual users. To assign licenses to groups, switch to the Groups tab.

5.  Click on + Assign licenses, then search for and select the group you want to assign licenses to.

6. Finally, click Assign to assign the licenses to the entire group. The assignment process may take some time, depending on the number of members within the group.

Also, you can find out more information this regarding by navigating this Microsoft official documentation Assign or unassign licenses for users in the Microsoft 365 admin center - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

Conclusion

This update reflects Microsoft's ongoing effort to centralize administrative functions within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, but it also introduces new challenges for IT administrators. The transition requires careful planning and adaptation, especially given the potential for reduced visibility into licensing issues. By preparing early and understanding the new processes in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, organizations can navigate this change smoothly and continue to manage their licenses effectively.

I hope you found this article helpful in understanding the upcoming feature deprecation on Microsoft Entra ID. If you enjoyed this tech post, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and friends who might benefit from this knowledge.

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