Understanding the difference between the Owner role and the Global Administrator role in Azure is essential for effective management of permissions and access within your cloud environment. This guide explains the scope, responsibilities, and use cases for each role.
What Is the Azure Subscription Owner Role?
The Owner role is automatically assigned to the person who signs up for a Microsoft Entra or Azure subscription.
Key Characteristics:
- Scope: The Owner role applies to Azure resources within the subscription.
- Permissions: Owners have full access to manage Azure resources, including creating, modifying, and deleting resources.
- Account Type: Owners can use either a personal Microsoft account or a work/school account from the associated directory.
- Azure Portal Access: Owners are authorized to manage services directly in the Azure portal.
Assigning Roles to Others:
If others need access to the same subscription, you can assign them appropriate built-in roles such as Contributor, Reader, or custom roles based on their needs.
Learn More:
What Is the Global Administrator Role?
The Global Administrator role is assigned to the person who signs up for a Microsoft Entra or Azure subscription as the administrator for the directory.
Key Characteristics:
- Scope: The Global Administrator role applies to the Microsoft Entra directory and identity-related features.
- Permissions: Global Administrators have full access to all directory features, including user management, group management, and domain settings.
- Responsibilities:
- Create or edit users
- Assign administrative roles to others
- Reset user passwords
- Manage user licenses
- Manage domains
Learn More:
- Assign a user to administrator roles in Microsoft Entra ID
- Differences between Owner and Global Administrator roles
Key Differences Between Owner and Global Administrator
| Feature | Owner Role | Global Administrator Role |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Azure subscription resources | Microsoft Entra directory features |
| Access | Full access to manage Azure services | Full access to manage directory and identity features |
| Responsibilities | Resource management | Identity and directory management |
| Role Assignment | Assigned at the subscription level | Assigned at the directory level |
Why Understanding These Roles Matters
Properly assigning roles ensures that users have the right level of access without compromising security or functionality. For example:
- Use the Owner role for managing Azure resources like virtual machines, storage accounts, or networking configurations.
- Use the Global Administrator role for managing users, groups, and identity policies within the Microsoft Entra directory.
Conclusion
The Owner role focuses on managing Azure subscription resources, while the Global Administrator role is designed for directory and identity management. Understanding the scope and responsibilities of each role ensures proper delegation of permissions and secure access control within your Azure environment.