The answer is the Pass-through Authentication Agent and Azure Service Bus endpoints. These two components are required because PTA validates user passwords directly against on-premises Active Directory without storing them in the cloud; the agent handles the password validation, while Azure Service Bus provides a secure, persistent outbound connection from the agent to Microsoft Entra ID, ensuring authentication requests can flow reliably even through firewalls. On the MS-102 exam, this question tests your understanding of hybrid identity migration from AD FS to cloud authentication, and a common trap is confusing the PTA agent with the Password Hash Sync agent or overlooking the Service Bus requirement. Remember that PTA relies on a "bridge" not a "copy"—the agent is the validator, and Service Bus is the tunnel. Memory tip: "Agent and Bus" are the must-haves for PTA—no cloud password storage, just a secure handshake.
MS-102 Practice Question: Implement and manage Microsoft Entra identity and access
This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of implement and manage microsoft entra identity and access. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your organization uses Microsoft Entra ID and has a hybrid identity configuration with Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS). You are migrating to cloud authentication using Pass-through Authentication (PTA). Which TWO components are required for a PTA deployment?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Service Bus endpoints in Azure
Pass-through Authentication (PTA) requires the PTA Agent to be installed on-premises to validate user passwords against Active Directory. It also uses Azure Service Bus endpoints to establish a secure, persistent connection between the on-premises agent and Microsoft Entra ID, enabling authentication requests to flow without storing passwords in the cloud.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Service Bus endpoints in Azure
Why this is correct
The PTA Agent uses Service Bus to communicate with Azure AD.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Password Hash Synchronization agent
Why it's wrong here
PHS is a separate authentication method.
✗
Azure AD Connect Health agent
Why it's wrong here
Connect Health provides monitoring but is not required for PTA.
✗
Seamless Single Sign-On
Why it's wrong here
Seamless SSO is optional and can be enabled with PTA.
✓
Pass-through Authentication Agent
Why this is correct
The PTA Agent validates passwords on-premises.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the required components for PTA with those for PHS or Seamless SSO, mistakenly including the Password Hash Synchronization agent or Seamless SSO as mandatory for PTA.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the PTA Agent listens on a local port (e.g., 8080) and communicates with Azure Service Bus via outbound HTTPS (TCP 443). Each authentication request is forwarded from Microsoft Entra ID to the agent through a dedicated Service Bus queue, ensuring no inbound firewall rules are needed. In a real-world scenario, deploying at least two PTA Agents for high availability is recommended to avoid a single point of failure during agent maintenance or outages.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this MS-102 question in full detail.
Implement and manage Microsoft Entra identity and access — This question tests Implement and manage Microsoft Entra identity and access — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Service Bus endpoints in Azure — Pass-through Authentication (PTA) requires the PTA Agent to be installed on-premises to validate user passwords against Active Directory. It also uses Azure Service Bus endpoints to establish a secure, persistent connection between the on-premises agent and Microsoft Entra ID, enabling authentication requests to flow without storing passwords in the cloud.
What should I do if I get this MS-102 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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