Azure role-based access control (RBAC) and Device Update

Device Update uses Azure RBAC to provide authentication and authorization for users and service APIs.

Configure access control roles

In order for other users and applications to have access to Device Update, users or applications must be granted access to this resource. Here are the roles that are supported by Device Update:

Role Name	Description
Device Update Administrator	Has access to all Device Update resources
Device Update Reader	Can view all updates and deployments
Device Update Content Administrator	Can view, import, and delete updates
Device Update Content Reader	Can view updates
Device Update Deployments Administrator	Can manage deployment of updates to devices
Device Update Deployments Reader	Can view deployments of updates to devices

A combination of roles can be used to provide the right level of access. For example, a developer can import and manage updates using the Device Update Content Administrator role, but needs a Device Update Deployments Reader role to view the progress of an update. Conversely, a solution operator with the Device Update Reader role can view all updates, but needs to use the Device Update Deployments Administrator role to deploy a specific update to devices.

Authenticate to Device Update REST APIs

Device Update uses Azure Active Directory (AD) for authentication to its REST APIs. To get started, you need to create and configure a client application.

Create client Azure AD app

To integrate an application or service with Azure AD, first register a client application with Azure AD. Client application setup will vary depending on the authorization flow you'll need (users, applications or managed identities). For example, to call Device Update from:

• Mobile or desktop application, add Mobile and desktop applications platform with https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/nativeclient for the Redirect URI.
• Website with implicit sign-on, add Web platform and select Access tokens (used for implicit flows).

Configure permissions

Next, add permissions for calling Device Update to your app:

1. Go to the API permissions page of your app and select Add a permission.
2. Go to APIs my organization uses and search for Azure Device Update.
3. Select user_impersonation permission and select Add permissions.

Request authorization token

The Device Update REST API requires an OAuth 2.0 authorization token in the request header. The following sections show some examples of ways to request an authorization token.

Using Azure CLI

az login
az account get-access-token --resource 'https://api.adu.microsoft.com/'

Using PowerShell MSAL Library

MSAL.PS PowerShell module is a wrapper over Microsoft Authentication Library for .NET (MSAL .NET). It supports various authentication methods.

Using user credentials:

$clientId = '<app_id>'
$tenantId = '<tenant_id>'
$authority = "https://login.microsoftonline.com/$tenantId/v2.0"
$Scope = 'https://api.adu.microsoft.com/user_impersonation'

Get-MsalToken -ClientId $clientId -TenantId $tenantId -Authority $authority -Scopes $Scope

Using user credentials with device code:

$clientId = '<app_id>’
$tenantId = '<tenant_id>’
$authority = "https://login.microsoftonline.com/$tenantId/v2.0"
$Scope = 'https://api.adu.microsoft.com/user_impersonation'

Get-MsalToken -ClientId $clientId -TenantId $tenantId -Authority $authority -Scopes $Scope -Interactive -DeviceCode

Using app credentials:

$clientId = '<app_id>’
$tenantId = '<tenant_id>’
$cert = '<client_certificate>'
$authority = "https://login.microsoftonline.com/$tenantId/v2.0"
$Scope = 'https://api.adu.microsoft.com/.default'

Get-MsalToken -ClientId $clientId -TenantId $tenantId -Authority $authority -Scopes $Scope -ClientCertificate $cert

Next steps

Create device update resources and configure access control roles