Fix it now · Microsoft Deadline Calendar

Should your campus move from Entra Connect Sync to Cloud Sync?

Microsoft has begun encouraging customers to move from Entra Connect Sync to Entra Cloud Sync, which upgrades itself. There's no announced retirement date for Connect Sync yet. Campuses with custom sync rules should inventory them first, because Cloud Sync doesn't support every Connect feature. The safest path is to decide now, on your schedule, rather than during an outage.

Fix it now

  1. Inventory your Entra Connect custom sync rules, device writeback and very large groups (Cloud Sync supports up to 50,000 members per group).
  2. Compare them against Microsoft's current Connect Sync and Cloud Sync comparison table.
  3. Decide which flows can move, and on what schedule, with an owner for each.

Why this keeps happening

Connect Sync needs a manual upgrade every time a version retires. Cloud Sync removes that work, but not every campus can move without changing how sync rules work. See the full Microsoft Deadline Calendar.

What breaks next

  1. StructuralStarted April 2026, no end date
    Microsoft's Entra Connect Sync to Entra Cloud Sync transition ("plan for change"). No retirement date for Connect Sync yet. Cloud Sync lacks some Connect features (e.g., advanced sync rules, groups over 50,000 members, device writeback).
    Who it hits: Campuses with custom sync rules
    Source: Microsoft Learn: What's new in Microsoft Entra (April 2026)
  2. NextApr 7, 2027
    Entra Connect Sync must be on 2.6.84.0 or later with application-based authentication, or all synchronization fails until you upgrade. Upgrading alone doesn't switch an existing server; run the wizard.
    Who it hits: Every campus on Connect Sync, including those that stopped at 2.5.x
    Source: Microsoft Learn: Hardening updates for Microsoft Entra Connect Sync

You'll fix this one. There are more coming.

Find your next break date in about five minutes. Your answers are scored in your browser.

Run the 5-minute Microsoft Deadline Check

Questions

Will Cloud Sync stop the version-retirement treadmill?
It removes manual sync-engine upgrades. It doesn't fix the scripts feeding your directory.
What do we lose?
Check advanced sync rules, device writeback, and very large groups against Microsoft's current comparison table.

Related fixes

Request a Demo