Friday 20 March 2015

How to use Cloud App Discovery

EMS Landing page

How cool is this? Cloud App Discovery (Preview) was released in 2014. The tool is still in Preview but is rapidly becoming one of the most utilized Azure services. 

What is it for?: You want to implement Software as a Service for your users. You want to manage the cloud apps rather than have your users engage in Shadow IT. However you have no idea what they are doing - enter Cloud App Discovery.

See a recent blog from the Active Directory Team where they discuss the new and exciting features of Cloud App Discovery.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/ad/archive/2015/02/16/new-updates-to-cloud-app-discovery.aspx

So how do we use it. It's really easy. 

 
  

Sign in or sign up. Log in with your Azure account or create an account.


You are presented with the instructions. Click Next to continue.

Instructions (as simple as ABC)
a) Download and run the agent on your devices
b) Azure AD receives the data
c) Discover the cloud services on your dashboard 

 

a) Click Download


Extract the files. See the tenant.cert file. This must be in the same folder as the Agent executable for installation.

Double-click EndpointAgentSetup.exe on one of your devices.


The Cloud App Discovery Endpoint Agent installation wizard is launched (note - still in Preview). Agree to the terms and click Install.



The agent has been installed.


See the new "Microsoft Cloud App Discovery Endpoint service".


Log back in to the Cloud App Discovery Portal

https://appdiscovery.azure.com
 
b) No apps have been discovered yet.


We see that data collection is in progress.


c) In a short space of time you will see data in your dashboard (less than 30 minutes).


You can see what Apps are being consumed by your users.


See that Cloud App Discovery is still in Preview.


 See that you can choose to display "All Apps" or just "Business Cloud Apps"


You can use a software deployment solution to distribute the agent to your devices. See that Microsoft have provided specific deployment guides using Group Policy and System Center Configuration Manager.

Group Policy Deployment Guide

System Center Configuration Manager Deployment Guide





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