Security is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a foundational requirement for any cloud-native architecture. As organizations adopt managed database services to support mission-critical applications, they must prioritize robust, scalable, and centralized security. Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) delivers high performance and flexibility, but it provides the most value when paired with well-implemented security practices.

Authentication anchors any effective security strategy. It verifies that only authorized users and applications can access your data and serves as the first line of defense against unauthorized access. For managed database services, teams must ensure authentication is both secure and simple to manage across environments, teams, and workloads.

Now generally available, Microsoft Entra ID integration brings enterprise-grade identity and access management to Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore). This feature lets you integrate your MongoDB workloads seamlessly into your existing Entra ID ecosystem.

Authentication management in database services

Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) has supported native DocumentDB authentication from the start. This built-in mechanism allows users to get started quickly with secure access to their clusters. During cluster provisioning, a default administrative user is created automatically. This built-in user has full privileges and can create additional native users with read-write and read-only permissions on the whole cluster.

While native authentication is convenient for initial setup and lightweight use cases, it comes with limitations:

• User and credential management must be done separately for each cluster.
• There’s no centralized control or visibility across environments.
• Enforcing enterprise-wide policies like password expiration, multi-factor authentication, or conditional access is not possible with native authentication alone.

To address these challenges, Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) now supports integration with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory). This integration enables you to:

• Manage a single set of security principals—users and managed identities—centrally in Microsoft Entra ID.
• Assign those principals to one or more Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) clusters.
• Leverage familiar identity governance tools and policies, such as role-based access control (RBAC), conditional access, and audit logging.

When organizations move authentication and policy management into the Entra ID ecosystem, they streamline access control, improve compliance, and reduce operational overhead—especially across multiple clusters or large teams.

How to use Microsoft Entra ID with Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore)

Getting started with Entra ID integration in Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) is straightforward and designed to align with your existing identity and access management practices.

• Start with a cluster To begin, you’ll need an Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) cluster. If you don’t have one yet, follow steps in this article to create and configure your first cluster.
• Enable Entra ID authentication Once your cluster is up and running, you can enable Entra ID authentication and assign Entra ID users or managed identities to it. This can be done in Azure Cloud Shell, local Azure CLI, or by making direct REST API calls. You can find step-by-step guidance here.
• Connect using Entra ID account via OpenID Connect (OIDC) After enabling Entra ID, you can connect to your cluster using OIDC-based authentication. You can find sample console applications in multiple languages to help you get started:
  • Python
  • Node.js
  • .NET / C#
  • Go
  • Java
  • Rust

These examples demonstrate how to create a sample MongoDB client and retrieve an OIDC token to authenticate using Entra ID and securely connect to your MongoDB (vCore) cluster using industry-standard protocols.

Next steps

Microsoft Entra ID integration with Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) opens the door to enterprise-grade identity and access management for your cloud-native database workloads. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your understanding, the following resources will help you explore the full capabilities of this integration:

• Microsoft Entra ID fundamentals for MongoDB vCore This article explains how Entra ID integrates with Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB vCore. It walks through key concepts such as authentication flows and the supported identity types, including users and managed identities.
• Step-by-step configuration guide You’ll learn how to enable Entra ID authentication on an existing cluster, assign Entra ID users, and manage their access. This guide provides detailed instructions, screenshots, and best practices to help you configure your environment effectively.
• Quick start guides Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) The Azure Cosmos DB for MongoDB (vCore) quick start guides help you deploy a sample end-to-end application using Entra ID or OIDC authentication with various MongoDB drivers in an Azure Developer CLI environment.
  • Python
  • Node.js
  • .NET / C#

These resources are ideal for developers, DBAs, and security professionals who want to integrate identity management into their MongoDB (vCore) deployments using familiar tools and policies from the Microsoft Entra ID ecosystem.

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About Azure Cosmos DB

Azure Cosmos DB is a fully managed and serverless NoSQL and vector database for modern app development, including AI applications. With its SLA-backed speed and availability as well as instant dynamic scalability, it is ideal for real-time NoSQL and MongoDB applications that require high performance and distributed computing over massive volumes of NoSQL and vector data.

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