Azure account, Azure tenant, and Azure subscription: Understanding the difference
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that offers a wide range of services, including computing, storage, networking, and databases. To use Azure, you need to create an Azure account.
Azure account
An Azure account is a user identity that allows you to access Azure resources. You can create an Azure account using a Microsoft account or an organizational account.
Azure tenant
An Azure tenant is a dedicated instance of Microsoft Entra ID formaly known as Azure Active Directory or Azure AD. Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management service that allows you to manage users and their access to Azure resources.
Azure subscription
An Azure subscription is a billing agreement between you and Microsoft. It defines the level of access and support that you receive for Azure services.
The relationship between Azure account, Azure tenant, and Azure subscription
Every Azure account belongs to an Azure tenant. You can have multiple Azure accounts in a single tenant, but an Azure account cannot belong to multiple tenants.
An Azure subscription is associated with an Azure tenant. This means that all Azure resources created under a subscription must belong to the same tenant.
How to use Azure account, Azure tenant, and Azure subscription
When you create an Azure account, you are assigned a default tenant. You can switch tenants at any time.
To create an Azure subscription, you must have an Azure account. You can create an Azure subscription in the Azure portal or using PowerShell.
Once you have an Azure subscription, you can start creating Azure resources. To create an Azure resource, you must belong to a role that has the necessary permissions.
Best practices for managing Azure account, Azure tenant, and Azure subscription
- Use a strong password for your Azure account.
- Enable multi-factor authentication for your Azure account.
- Assign users to roles that have the necessary permissions to access Azure resources.
- Separate Azure resources into resource groups.
- Use Azure tags to organize Azure resources.
Azure account, Azure tenant, and Azure subscription are fundamental concepts in Azure. Understanding the difference between these concepts is essential for managing Azure resources effectively.