Provide access to Azure resources by assigning roles at different scopes

This system allows administrators to grant just enough access to users, based on the principle of least privilege. Access can be granted at different levels, or scopes, which are hierarchy-based, providing fine-grained control over Azure resources. The scopes in Azure are:

• Management Group: This is the highest level of scope. Management Groups allow you to manage access, policies, and compliance for multiple subscriptions.
• Subscription: A subscription is a container for billing, but it can also be used to manage access to resources that are in that subscription.
• Resource Group: This is a collection of resources that share the same lifecycle, permissions, and policies.
• Resource: The lowest level, this is an individual resource like a virtual machine, storage account, or SQL database.

Azure defines several built-in roles, with each role having a set of permissions that are designed to do common tasks in Azure. The most common roles are:

• Owner: Has full access to all resources including the right to delegate access to others.
• Contributor: Can create and manage all types of Azure resources but can’t grant access to others.
• Reader: Can view existing Azure resources.
• User Access Administrator: Can manage user access to Azure resources.

It’s important to understand that when you assign a role at a higher scope, that role assignment is inherited by all the lower scopes within it. For instance, assigning a role to a user at the subscription level means they’ll inherit that role for all the resource groups and resources within that subscription.

Examples:

Assigning a Role at the Subscription Level:

A common scenario is where an individual needs to be able to manage all resources within a subscription but should not have the ability to change access permissions. In this case, you could assign the “Contributor” role to the user at the subscription scope. To achieve this, follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, navigate to the subscription you want to manage.
2. Select “Access control (IAM)” from the menu.
3. Click the “+ Add” button and select “Add role assignment.”
4. In the Role dropdown, select “Contributor.”
5. Search for the user you want to assign the role to and select them.
6. Click “Save” to assign the role.

Assigning a Role at the Resource Group Level:

If a team is only responsible for a specific set of resources within a resource group, you can assign roles at the resource group scope. For example:

1. Navigate to the resource group in the Azure portal.
2. Select “Access control (IAM)” from the menu.
3. Click the “+ Add” button and select “Add role assignment.”
4. Choose the appropriate role, like “Reader,” for someone who only needs to view the resources.
5. Search and select the team members.
6. Click “Save” to assign the role.

Limiting Scope with a Custom Role:

Sometimes, the built-in roles might not perfectly match your organization’s needs. In such cases, you can create a custom role with specific permissions and assign it at the needed scope.

Best Practices:

• Start by granting access at the most specific scope possible. For example, if a user only needs to work with one resource, don’t grant access at the subscription or resource group level.
• Regularly review access permissions and adjust them as needed to ensure they still align with the users’ current roles and responsibilities.
• Use groups to manage user and application access, instead of assigning permissions to individual users wherever possible.

In summary, Azure’s RBAC system is designed to give you granularity and control over your resource access management. By appropriately assigning roles at different scopes, whether they be management groups, subscriptions, resource groups, or resources, you can ensure that individuals and teams have the precise level of access they need to perform their tasks without unnecessary permissions that open up risks. Always follow the principle of least privilege and make regular adjustments as roles and responsibilities within your organization evolve.