An authentication choice in SSMS for interactive Microsoft Entra sign-in that supports multifactor authentication.
Also called Microsoft Entra MFA.
Read more: Microsoft Learn
In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains Universal with MFA in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- Authentication
Checking an identity claim made by a person, device or app, for instance by asking for a password plus an extra factor. Authorisation only happens once this step has succeeded.
- SSMS
SQL Server Management Studio, a tool for administering SQL Server, used for tasks such as building a target schema.
- Microsoft Entra
The umbrella brand covering Microsoft's identity and network access portfolio. Internet Access, Private Access, External ID and ID Governance all belong to it, built on top of the core directory service, Entra ID.
- MFA
Multifactor authentication: asking for another factor on top of a password at sign-in, usually required by a Conditional Access grant control.
Related terms
- federatedIdpMfaBehavior
Controls, per federated domain, how Microsoft Entra ID treats MFA carried out by the federation provider: accept it, enforce it there, or reject it. Choosing rejectMfaByFederatedIdp means Microsoft Entra MFA always happens. It takes over from SupportsMfa.
- MFA Server
Azure Multi-Factor Authentication Server, an on-premises product that is deprecated and no longer processes requests. Microsoft Entra MFA in the cloud takes its place.
- PAP
Password Authentication Protocol, a RADIUS password protocol which, when used between NPS and the RADIUS client, lets the NPS extension support all Microsoft Entra MFA methods, TOTP codes from OATH tokens or Authenticator included.