FAQ
Q: Can I use the Microsoft Entra ID integration when I have a hybrid setup?
A: It is possible to set up the integration, but it can only synchronize data from Microsoft Entra ID to Emply. This means that the three extra options (create, update, delete) are not possible to enable. If the calendar is synchronized to the cloud, it is possible to enable this in the integration.
Q: What is a hybrid setup?
A: Many of our customers have a hybrid setup, which means that they have their Entra ID installed on a server on-prem, but synchronize data to Microsoft Entra ID in the cloud. In other words, they run both on-prem and in the cloud and this is called hybrid Microsoft Entra ID. The customer started out with an on-prem Entra ID, but in order to access newer features in Microsoft Entra ID, they have chosen to synchronize data to the cloud. Some will eventually switch completely to the cloud (Microsoft Entra ID), but it can be a major process to get started.
Q: Can I manually create users and will this be impacted by user synchronization?
A: Yes, you can. If a user has the same username or the same e-mail it will automatically connect to Microsoft Entra ID's user and be synchronized.
External users that are not part of the connected Microsoft Entra ID can be created in Emply.
Q: How do I ensure that the Microsoft Entra ID user synchronizes with the user profile in Emply?
A: Emply files user and employee connected to an e-mail address, therefore the two e-mails must be identical.
Q: Should Microsoft Entra ID be activated before or after importing employees?
A: Microsoft Entra ID does not affect employees but only synchronizes users/calendars. Therefore, the employee must be created with the same company email as in Microsoft Entra ID before Microsoft Entra ID is set to synchronize users to Emply. Otherwise, the user in Microsoft Entra ID and Emply will not be connected.
Q: How do the rules for deletion of users function?
A: By removing a user from Microsoft Entra ID, the Emply user is deactivated.
A2: By allowing Emply to delete the Microsoft Entra ID user, the Microsoft Entra ID user is moved to deleted users in Microsoft Entra ID.
Q: I have deleted a user in Microsoft Entra ID, but the user still exists under 'Active' in Emply. How can this be?
A: If an employee resigns or is terminated, you must remember to enter a resignation date for the employee in Emply so that the employee is moved to 'Pending' and then 'Archived' when you reach the resignation date.
Q: Why is there an error in synchronization of users?
A: When connecting an employee profile in Emply with a user in Microsoft Entra ID, you must create an account for the employee first. So long as the e-mail used for the two users is identical, they should be connected automatically.
Q: Why are users in Emply being deactivated?
A: There can be multiple reasons as to why the connection between Entra ID and Emply is being interrupted:
- The Entra ID user has moved out of the connected Entra ID group(s)
- The connected Entra ID group is shut down
- The Microsoft Entra ID Tenant has changed
- The user domain has been changed
Q: Emply users with administrator roles are not updated via role synchronization?
A: This is a choice we have taken in Emply so that access to administrators are not unintentionally removed on accident. Should there be a need to remove the administrator role it must be done through another user with administrator-like access. This covers only the role itself, not the user.
Q: Why is the Emply user not changing when the connected Microsoft Entra ID user changes information?
A: Microsoft Entra ID integration is not supported by the updates from Microsoft Entra ID to Emply. The integration is a one-way road from Microsoft Entra ID to Emply and simply creates a user but cannot update it. This is caused by the fact that the employee profile is in control of the data, and therefore overwrites changes from Microsoft Entra ID. The updates can occur from Emply to Microsoft Entra ID.
Q: Why is it not possible to update Microsoft Entra ID users from Emply?
A: This can be due to a hybrid Entra ID, where Entra ID OnPrem updates Microsoft Entra ID. Please be aware that MS does not allow transfer to Microsoft Entra ID.
Q: Why do the users not receive the expected roles, but only a single on?
A: "Synchronize roles" must be activated in the Microsoft Entra ID integration from Emply and the Entra ID user must be part of the configured Entra ID groups.
Q: What is the logic applied with the "Synchronize roles" toggle after first sync?
When the 'Synchronize role' toggle is enabled, the system will apply the following logic, based on 2 different cases:
- the user has an employee profile
- the user does not have an employee profile
Example case:
Your platform has the following roles in Emply:
'Employee' - role that is mapped to 'Microsoft Entra ID group Employee'
'HR' - role that is mapped to 'Microsoft Entra ID group HR'
'Manager' - role that is not mapped to any Microsoft Entra ID group
'New employee' - role that is not mapped to any Microsoft Entra ID group currently
User Ray Ross is part of the Microsoft Entra ID group Employee, and HR; in Emply has role Employee, HR, Manager; and has an employee profile in Emply.
User Megan Jordan is part of the Microsoft Entra ID group Employee, and HR; in Emply has role Employee, HR, Manager; and does not have an employee profile in Emply.
Case 1
For user Ray Ross (who has has an employee profile in Emply), the roles will not be synced through the integration. If the user has an employee profile, the only thing that can be done through sync is modifying the status of the user (active / not active).
Case 2
For user Megan Jordan, who does not have an employee profile in Emply:
Case 2A
IF user Megan Jordan is part of the Entra ID groups Employee and HR, and has roles Employee, HR and Manager in Emply, the system will not update any role, as the roles she has in Emply match the groups she is part of in Entra ID.
Result: After synchronization roles will not change: Megan Jordan will still have roles Employee, HR and Manager.
Case 2B
IF user Megan Jordan is removed from the Entra ID group HR, the sync will still avoid changing the roles for the user in Emply. The HR role in Emply will be simply considered to be a role as the Manager one for her.
Result: After synchronization roles will not change: Megan Jordan will still have roles Employee, HR and Manager
Case 2C
IF we remove roles Employee and HR in Emply from user Megan Jordan but she is still part of the Entra ID groups HR and Employee, the sync will update the user in Emply with the roles matching the Entra ID groups, and remove the extra role that is not mapped to Entra ID.
Result: After synchronization roles will be updated to the ones matching the Entra ID groups: Megan Jordan will therefore have roles Employee, HR and will lose the role Manager
Case 2D
IF we change the mapping of Entra ID Group Employee in Emply to match another Emply role called 'New employee', the sync will change the roles for Megan Jordan to match the new mapping.
Result: After synchronization roles will be changed according to the new mapping: Megan Jordan will therefore have roles New Employee, HR and Manager
Q: Is it subsequently possible to add more Entra ID groups to integration, and can a user have several Entra ID group membership?
A: Yes. If you wish to give more roles to a user, you can connect different Entra ID groups with each their own role, for example, "Employees", "Managers", etc. It is a condition that "Synchronize roles" is activated in the integration.
Q: What happens to a synchronized user when it is removed from the Entra ID group?
A: It is deactivated in Emply and can be found under deactivated users.
Q: Why is Emply not synchronized with the calendar?
A: Check if the calendar is deactivated under the relevant user.
Synchronization must be enabled:
Once enabled, the integration will add all Entra ID calendars where the Entra ID user has editing rights or higher to Emply automatically.
The Entra ID user's own default calendar will be added without the Disable button but all additional calendars will be added with the "Disable/Enable" buttons
Additional calendars will be added to Emply as "Disabled" by default. If a user wishes to enable event synchronization to one of these calendars, they must click the "Enable" button in their user settings
Q: Emply updates data in Microsoft Entra ID. How can this be avoided?
A: This is caused by an option in the Microsoft Entra ID integration set up that has been activated to allow Emply to update data in Microsoft Entra ID. In this case you simply need to remove the tick mark and then save to avoid these updates from Emply in the future.
Q: How often is Microsoft Entra ID synchronized?
A: The Entra ID is synchronized every 30 minutes / twice in an hour
Q: How does the synchronization of profile pictures from Microsoft Entra ID to Emply work?
A: The profile picture can only synchronize from Microsoft Entra ID to Emply on users that are not connected to an employee, as it is the employee who controls the user, once they are connected. If changes need to be made to, for example, the user's master data, this must be done on the employee profile.
Q: Is it possible to have the profile pictures synchronize between Emply and Microsoft Entra ID?
A: No, it is not possible. If you only want the profile picture to upload and connect the picture to Emply, you can use Emply's API instead. Here it can also pull the image from Emply, through the API and into the Entra ID.
Q: How do I synchronize the calendar with MS365?
A: In the integration set up you must activate synchronization of the calendar. When the synchronization is activated the data can be used in Emply's calendar functionality. Additionally, Emply can create events in the MS365 calendar.
Q: What happens if I remove the Microsoft Entra ID integration?
A: The calendar synchronization stops, the Outlook events will no longer be visible in Emply after next synchronization, new users connected to an Entra ID group will not be created in Emply. If you have configured Emply to update Microsoft Entra ID users, this will stop.