Azure Identity Java

---
name: azure-identity-java
description: Authenticate Java applications with Azure services using Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD). 
category: Development & Code Tools
source: antigravity
tags: [ai, workflow, kubernetes, azure, rag, cro]
url: https://github.com/sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills/tree/main/skills/azure-identity-java
---


# Azure Identity (Java)

Authenticate Java applications with Azure services using Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD).

## Installation

```xml
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.azure</groupId>
    <artifactId>azure-identity</artifactId>
    <version>1.15.0</version>
</dependency>
```

## Key Concepts

| Credential | Use Case |
|------------|----------|
| `DefaultAzureCredential` | **Recommended** - Works in dev and production |
| `ManagedIdentityCredential` | Azure-hosted apps (App Service, Functions, VMs) |
| `EnvironmentCredential` | CI/CD pipelines with env vars |
| `ClientSecretCredential` | Service principals with secret |
| `ClientCertificateCredential` | Service principals with certificate |
| `AzureCliCredential` | Local dev using `az login` |
| `InteractiveBrowserCredential` | Interactive login flow |
| `DeviceCodeCredential` | Headless device authentication |

## DefaultAzureCredential (Recommended)

The `DefaultAzureCredential` tries multiple authentication methods in order:

1. Environment variables
2. Workload Identity
3. Managed Identity
4. Azure CLI
5. Azure PowerShell
6. Azure Developer CLI

```java
import com.azure.identity.DefaultAzureCredential;
import com.azure.identity.DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder;

// Simple usage
DefaultAzureCredential credential = new DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder().build();

// Use with any Azure client
BlobServiceClient blobClient = new BlobServiceClientBuilder()
    .endpoint("https://<storage-account>.blob.core.windows.net")
    .credential(credential)
    .buildClient();

KeyClient keyClient = new KeyClientBuilder()
    .vaultUrl("https://<vault-name>.vault.azure.net")
    .credential(credential)
    .buildClient();
```

### Configure DefaultAzureCredential

```java
DefaultAzureCredential credential = new DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder()
    .managedIdentityClientId("<user-assigned-identity-client-id>")  // For user-assigned MI
    .tenantId("<tenant-id>")                                        // Limit to specific tenant
    .excludeEnvironmentCredential()                                 // Skip env vars
    .excludeAzureCliCredential()                                    // Skip Azure CLI
    .build();
```

## Managed Identity

For Azure-hosted applications (App Service, Functions, AKS, VMs).

```java
import com.azure.identity.ManagedIdentityCredential;
import com.azure.identity.ManagedIdentityCredentialBuilder;

// System-assigned managed identity
ManagedIdentityCredential credential = new ManagedIdentityCredentialBuilder()
    .build();

// User-assigned managed identity (by client ID)
ManagedIdentityCredential credential = new ManagedIdentityCredentialBuilder()
    .clientId("<user-assigned-client-id>")
    .build();

// User-assigned managed identity (by resource ID)
ManagedIdentityCredential credential = new ManagedIdentityCredentialBuilder()
    .resourceId("/subscriptions/<sub>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.ManagedIdentity/userAssignedIdentities/<name>")
    .build();
```

## Service Principal with Secret

```java
import com.azure.identity.ClientSecretCredential;
import com.azure.identity.ClientSecretCredentialBuilder;

ClientSecretCredential credential = new ClientSecretCredentialBuilder()
    .tenantId("<tenant-id>")
    .clientId("<client-id>")
    .clientSecret("<client-secret>")
    .build();
```

## Service Principal with Certificate

```java
import com.azure.identity.ClientCertificateCredential;
import com.azure.identity.ClientCertificateCredentialBuilder;

// From PEM file
ClientCertificateCredential credential = new ClientCertificateCredentialBuilder()
    .tenantId("<tenant-id>")
    .clientId("<client-id>")
    .pemCertificate("<path-to-cert.pem>")
    .build();

// From PFX file with password
ClientCertificateCredential credential = new ClientCertificateCredentialBuilder()
    .tenantId("<tenant-id>")
    .clientId("<client-id>")
    .pfxCertificate("<path-to-cert.pfx>", "<pfx-password>")
    .build();

// Send certificate chain for SNI
ClientCertificateCredential credential = new ClientCertificateCredentialBuilder()
    .tenantId("<tenant-id>")
    .clientId("<client-id>")
    .pemCertificate("<path-to-cert.pem>")
    .sendCertificateChain(true)
    .build();
```

## Environment Credential

Reads credentials from environment variables.

```java
import com.azure.identity.EnvironmentCredential;
import com.azure.identity.EnvironmentCredentialBuilder;

EnvironmentCredential credential = new EnvironmentCredentialBuilder().build();
```

### Required Environment Variables

**For service principal with secret:**
```bash
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<tenant-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<client-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=<client-secret>
```

**For service principal with certificate:**
```bash
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<tenant-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<client-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_PATH=/path/to/cert.pem
AZURE_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD=<optional-password>
```

**For username/password:**
```bash
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<tenant-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<client-id>
AZURE_USERNAME=<username>
AZURE_