Cannot Start Azure ATP or Defender for Identity Services when using gMSA

Description:

You are deploying Azure Advanced Threat Protection (AATP) or Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI) in your Multi-Domain Single-Forest IT environment. You plan to use gMSA account for the Defender for Identity services account when communicating to Active Directory. 

You have created a new universal group or domain local group and add all of the Domain Controllers in the Forest to that group. You also have created the gMSA account and configured that group to be able to retrieve password and use the gMSA account.

However when you configure MDI to use the gMSA account, the Sensor Services on the Domain Controllers cannot be start.

Resolution:

Make sure you have Restarted the Domain Controllers that you put inside the new universal or domain local group. After the Domain Controller restart, try to login and notice that Azure ATP Sensor Services will be able to start properly. Delayed start is expected for Azure ATP services.

How to Add NT Service\All Services group to Active Directory User Rights Assignment

Description:

You want to use a group Managed Service Account (gMSA) on multiple domain in your forest. You also have Group Policy that managed the User Rights Assignment setting on Active Directory. You need to add NT Service\All Services to those User Rights Assignment policy.

Resolution:

1. Open up Group Policy Manager, and edit the Group Policy. Example is the “Default Domain Controller Policy” if you want to modify the user Rights Assignment at Domain Controllers.
2. Navigate down to “Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment”
3. Edit the “Log on as a service” properties and ensure the box next to “Define these policy settings:” is ticked. Click “Add User or Group” and manually type “NT SERVICE\ALL SERVICES” (Do Not Click Browse)
4. Click OK twice
5. Close the Group Policy Manager

Error when Configuring Azure AD Connect - Authorization Manager check failed

Description:

When you configure your Azure AD Connect, you encounter Authorization Manager check failed error message.

It said "An error occurred while retrieving the Active Directory Schema. The error are: AuthorizationManager check failed."

Resolution:

Try to manually installing the Microsoft certificate:

1.  Go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure Active Directory Connect\AdSyncConfig\AdSyncConfig.psm1
2. Right click the file, and open properties
3. Go to 'Digital Signatures' tab and open the details for the certificate
4. Click View certificate
5. Click Install certificate for local machine
6. Manually choose to store certificates at 'Trusted publishers'
7. Click Ok to close the certificate wizard.
8. Go Back to the Azure AD Connect Wizard > Click Previous > and Click Next again.

Error when configuring Azure AD Connect at MSOnline.Format.ps1xml file

Description:

When you configure your Azure AD Connect, you encounter Authorization Manager check failed error message.

It said " Unable to retrieve the Azure Active Directory configuration. Errors occurred while reading the format data file: Microsoft.PowerShell, , C:\Program Files\Microsoft Active Directory Connect\AADPowerShell\MSOnline.Format.ps1xml: The file was skipped because of the following validation exception: AuthorizationManager check failed."

Resolution:

Try to manually installing the Microsoft certificate:

1.  Go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure Active Directory Connect\AADPowerShell\MSonline.Format.ps1xml
2. Right click the file, and open properties
3. Go to 'Digital Signatures' tab and open the details for the certificate
4. Click View certificate
5. Click Install certificate for local machine
6. Manually choose to store certificates at 'Trusted publishers'
7. Click Ok to close the certificate wizard.
8. Go Back to the Azure AD Connect Wizard > Click Previous > and Click Next again.

Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) - PowerShell Command

Following are several useful group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) PowerShell command.

• To query the Active Directory for list of host where a specific gMSA account could be use, please run the following:

• Get-ADServiceAccount [-Identity] ITFarm1 -Properties PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieveManagedPassword

• To add member hosts to where the gMSA account could be use, please run the following:

• Set-ADServiceAccount [-Identity] ITFarm1 -PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieveManagedPassword Host1$,Host3$

• To install gMSA account to a host, please run the following command on the host machine:

• Install-ADServiceAccount -Identity ITFarm1

• To create a new gMSA account, please run the following

• New-ADServiceAccount ITFarm1 -DNSHostName ITFarm1.contoso.com -PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieveManagedPassword ITFarmHosts$