Requirements

• To use Azure Active Directory with an Azure SQL Database server, the server needs to be assigned an Azure Active Directory admin
• To register an app with Azure Active Directory, you need to be either an Azure AD admin or a user assigned the Azure AD Application Developer role

Registering SQL Compare and setting permissions

To use interactive authentication to connect to Azure, SQL Compare needs to register as an Azure Active Directory app. Registering SQL Compare will generate an application ID that SQL Compare will need to know to connect.

In the Azure portal, select Azure Active Directory > App registrations > New registration. Enter SQL Compare for the application name and then click on the Register button. 

Note: You may need to change the option under 'Supported account types' to 'Accounts in any organizational directory, dependent on your specific active directory configuration.

If you are on a compare version older than 14.8.0. make a note of the Application ID as this will be required later 

 Under this new application, select Authentication > Add a platform

next select Mobile and desktop applications

and then, in the Redirect URIs section, select the option https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/nativeclient as a redirect URI before clicking the Configure button.

Next, in the Advanced settings section of the Authentication page, allow the following public client flows before saving

Select  API permissions > Add a permission.

Select  APIs my organization uses  > type  Azure SQL Database  into the search and select  Azure SQL Database.

Select  Delegated permissions  >  user_impersonation  >  Add permissions.

Setting up SQL Compare

In the database connection dialog, select Active Directory universal with MFA authentication (Azure) in the Authentication dropdown, enter your username in the corresponding text box, and if you are on a version older than 14.8.0 paste the Application ID (from the previous section) in the Application ID text box. This will remember the Application ID for future use. (Application ID no longer required from version 14.8.0 onwards, if you use azure universal auth we recommend updating to 14.8.0 onwards)