What would be the migration path from AWS Cognito to Cloud Identity? On the AWS Cognito side there are only user pools, no identity pools. Also I don’t see any migration service to bulk export users from AWS Cognito to Cloud Identity.
I’m not too familiar with AWS Cognito, more familiar with Cloud Identity.
when i asked Gemini about your question What would be the migration path from AWS Cognito to Cloud Identity?, this was its answer:
Migrating from AWS Cognito to Cloud Identity: A Complex Path
Unfortunately, a direct migration path from AWS Cognito to Cloud Identity doesn’t exist. This is primarily due to the fundamental differences in their architecture and functionalities.
Understanding the Differences
• AWS Cognito: Primarily a user directory and authentication service focusing on mobile and web applications. It offers features like user pools, identity pools, and federated identity management.
• Cloud Identity: A core identity service for Azure Active Directory, designed for managing users, groups, and applications across multiple cloud and on-premises environments. It’s more enterprise-focused and offers features like single sign-on, conditional access, and Azure AD B2B collaboration.
Potential Migration Paths
Given these differences, a direct lift-and-shift approach is not feasible. Instead, you’ll likely need a more comprehensive migration strategy involving several steps:
- Assess Your Requirements:
◦ Clearly define your identity and access management (IAM) needs.
◦ Identify the specific features and functionalities you rely on in Cognito.
◦ Evaluate how Cloud Identity can meet these requirements. - Data Migration:
◦ Extract user data from Cognito, including attributes, passwords (hashed), and other relevant information.
◦ Transform the data to match the schema required by Cloud Identity.
◦ Import the data into Cloud Identity.
◦ Consider using Azure AD Connect for complex on-premises to cloud migrations. - Application Integration:
◦ Modify your applications to authenticate with Cloud Identity instead of Cognito.
◦ Update authentication libraries and SDKs to use Azure AD authentication.
◦ Consider using Azure AD B2C for consumer-facing applications if applicable. - Feature Parity:
◦ Evaluate the feature set of Cloud Identity compared to Cognito.
◦ Identify any gaps and find alternative solutions or workarounds.
◦ Consider custom development or third-party solutions to bridge the gap. - Testing and Validation:
◦ Thoroughly test your applications with Cloud Identity.
◦ Verify user authentication, authorization, and data access.
◦ Address any issues or performance bottlenecks.
Key Considerations
• Password Hashing: Ensure compatibility between Cognito and Cloud Identity password hashing algorithms to avoid user password resets.
• Custom Attributes: Map Cognito custom attributes to equivalent Cloud Identity attributes or create custom user attributes if needed.
• Security Groups and Roles: Reconfigure security groups and roles in Azure to match your existing IAM structure.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Implement MFA in Cloud Identity to enhance security.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Configure SSO with Cloud Identity for seamless user experience.
• Conditional Access: Leverage Cloud Identity’s conditional access policies to enforce security requirements.
Additional Considerations
• Cost Analysis: Compare the pricing models of Cognito and Cloud Identity to assess the potential cost impact of migration.
• Data Privacy and Compliance: Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations throughout the migration process.
• Pilot Testing: Conduct a pilot migration to test the process and identify potential challenges.
While the migration process can be complex, the long-term benefits of adopting Cloud Identity, such as enhanced security, scalability, and integration with other Azure services, can outweigh the initial effort.
Would you like to delve deeper into any specific aspect of this migration, such as data migration strategies or application integration challenges?
Interesting results. I meant Cloud Identity managed service from GCP, not Azure 
. Moreover i don’t see this service in Azure and it is Gemini
heh, yeah. i thought that part was pretty screwy.
Hope you find an answer on your post:
• https://www.googlecloudcommunity.com/gc/Infrastructure-Compute-Storage/AWS-Cognito-to-Cloud-Identity-Migration-Path/m-p/784851#M7799
Hey Dheeraj,
regarding your community post:
I found my answer. Cloud Identity is used for workforce identity federation while Identity platform is a CIAM and is what i need. Are RBAC options available with Identity Platform?
Service Accounts can be assigned specific roles easily.
Are you wanting to do this generically, to put pools of users in specific roles ?
(we use Firebase Authentication w/ Identity Platform, so we don’t use Identity Platform directly, but we have some experience)
refs:
• https://cloud.google.com/identity-platform/docs/access-control
• https://cloud.google.com/iam/docs/granting-changing-revoking-access
