The future is coming folks and Microsoft is making it easier than ever. On October 14, 2015 the Azure team launched in Public Preview the Azure AD Domain Services. Basically, this allows any current Active Directory topology to be easily extended to the Azure cloud. Why is this exciting? Well, it’s an entirely new concept in which you can support all critical directory applications and needs (Kerberos, NTLM, GP, and LDAP) with a cloud based set of APIs completed managed as a service. This isn’t simply creating a VPN between Azure and adding a new DC VM but rather, it is a service that runs without the need for running, maintaining or patching Active Directory (AD) Domain Controller (DC) Virtual Machines (VM).

This means our customers have a ton of new options and flexibility as they plan and deploy their enterprise IT resources across on-premises and the cloud. And maybe most exciting, it gives cloud forward companies the opportunity to go “cloud only” while still getting all the benefits of Azure AD and Windows Server AD.

Program manager Mahesh Unnikrishnan digs deepr in this recent TechNet Article Blog.

What is Azure AD Domain Services? 

Azure AD Domain Services provides managed cloud based domain services such as domain join, group policy, LDAP & Kerberos/NTLM authentication in the Azure cloud that are fully compatible with Windows Server Active Directory. With these services, you get the full value of Windows Server AD in the cloud domain, without having to deploy, manage, monitor and patch domain controllers.

So how much will it cost? 

uring preview, only the highlighted (5,001–25,000 objects) tier is available and is billed at 50% of the general availability price.