Many mid-sized organizations live in two worlds at once: On-Premises Active Directory and Azure AD side by side. Classic PIM solutions often cover only one side. au2mator closes this gap as a hybrid PIM solution that unifies both environments and enables Just-in-Time access for On-Premises resources as well.
What Is Hybrid PIM and Why Is It So Difficult for SMBs?
Privileged Identity Management (PIM) ensures that privileged access rights are only active when they are actually needed. Just-in-Time instead of permanent admin access. The concept is sound, but implementation in hybrid environments is often cumbersome. Azure PIM works excellently for cloud roles but largely ignores On-Premises AD.
The Gap: Azure PIM Covers Only the Cloud
Azure AD PIM manages Azure roles and Azure AD roles, but not On-Premises Active Directory groups or local admin rights. For companies with hybrid infrastructure, which is the majority of DACH SMBs, this creates a security gap: On-Premises privileges remain permanently active, uncontrolled, and difficult to audit.
au2mator as a Hybrid PIM Solution
au2mator extends Azure PIM with On-Premises functionality. Through the self-service portal, privileged access rights for both Azure roles and On-Premises AD groups can be requested with a time limit, approved, and automatically revoked. Everything from a single web interface, fully logged.
- Time-limited access to AD groups (e.g., “Domain Admins” for 4 hours)
- Approval workflow: request, manager approval, activation, automatic revocation
- Complete audit trail for compliance (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR)
- Supports On-Premises AD and Azure AD simultaneously
Just-in-Time Access for On-Premises and Azure
The core concept of JIT access: nobody holds permanent admin rights. When a technician needs elevated permissions for a maintenance task, they request them through au2mator. After the defined time window expires, the rights are automatically revoked. No manual intervention is required and no “forgotten” admin account is left open.
Use Cases: When Do You Need Hybrid PIM?
- IT technician needs temporary Domain Admin rights for server maintenance
- External consultants need time-limited access to specific systems
- Helpdesk occasionally needs elevated AD rights for certain tasks
- Compliance requirements demand evidence of privileged access
au2mator vs. Native Azure PIM: Comparison
| Criterion | au2mator Hybrid PIM | Azure PIM (native) |
|---|---|---|
| On-Premises AD groups | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Azure AD roles | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Approval workflow | ✅ Customizable | ✅ Standard |
| Self-service portal | ✅ Web-based | ⚠️ Azure Portal |
| Target audience | DACH SMB | Enterprise / Cloud-first |
Unlike pure Azure-native solutions, au2mator supports hybrid environments with On-Premises AD and Azure AD simultaneously, without needing two separate tools. Learn more →
