What's changed: Created MS-102 Chapter 1 (domain: Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant): tenant and service management (tenant creation, domain DNS TXT verification, org settings, Service Health/notifications, Network connectivity insights, software updates, Microsoft 365 Backup, adoption/usage), users and groups (Entra ID users/external B2B guests/contacts, Microsoft 365 Groups/security groups/shared mailboxes, group-based licensing, Microsoft Graph PowerShell bulk management), and roles and role groups (Entra roles/workload role groups, administrative unit delegation, PIM Just-In-Time elevation).
1.2Users and groups
Understand creating users (including external users) and contacts in Microsoft Entra ID, groups (Microsoft 365 Groups / security groups) and shared mailboxes, licensing (including group-based licensing), and bulk management via Microsoft Graph PowerShell.
Users and groups are the basic units of access and licensing. Choosing the right group type and license assignment method drives operational efficiency.
1.2.1Users and external users
Create users in Microsoft Entra ID. Invite external collaborators as external users (B2B guests) who sign in with their existing identity. Contacts are mail-recipient-only objects that cannot sign in. For mass creation, use bulk operations in the admin center or Microsoft Graph PowerShell.
1.2.2Groups and shared mailboxes
Microsoft 365 Groups bundle collaboration resources (Teams/SharePoint/Outlook) with a shared calendar, mailbox, and site. Security groups are used for resource access/license assignment. A shared mailbox lets multiple people use one address (e.g., info@) without a license—distinct from M365 Groups for collaboration.
1.2.3Licensing and bulk management
Licenses can be assigned individually, but group-based licensing auto-assigns/removes based on group membership—ideal at scale (add a member = auto-assign). Script repetitive tasks with Microsoft Graph PowerShell (and Microsoft Entra PowerShell) to automate bulk creation, attribute updates, and licensing.
Cues: "invite external people with their existing ID" = external user (B2B guest). "mail recipient, no sign-in" = contact. "collaboration bundling Teams/SharePoint/mailbox" = Microsoft 365 Group. "shared address without a license" = shared mailbox. "auto-assign by membership" = group-based licensing. "repetitive bulk ops" = Microsoft Graph PowerShell.
Watch the mix-ups: (1) Microsoft 365 Group (full collaboration set) vs security group (access/licensing). (2) A shared mailbox (license-free shared address) vs an M365 Group mailbox. (3) Group-based licensing (auto) vs individual licensing (manual). (4) External user (B2B guest) vs contact (recipient-only).
1.2.4Section summary
- Create users in Entra ID; externals are B2B guests; contacts are no-sign-in recipients
- M365 Group = collaboration set; security group = access/licensing; shared mailbox = license-free shared address
- Group-based licensing auto-assigns by membership; bulk management via Microsoft Graph PowerShell
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Quick check
(just a quick review)Q1. You want an external partner to collaborate using their existing organizational account to access your resources. Best?
Q2. You want multiple staff to share a single address like info@ without extra licenses. Best?
Q3. You want licenses auto-assigned by department membership and auto-removed when people move. Best?
Q4. You want to create hundreds of users from CSV and repeatedly automate attribute updates and licensing. Best?
Q5. You want a collaboration group that bundles Teams, a SharePoint site, a shared mailbox, and a calendar. Best?