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First Login

After completing registration, you need to redeem your Entra invitation, set up multi-factor authentication (MFA), and verify you can access the Azure portal. This usually takes about 10 minutes.

Step 1: Redeem Your Entra Invitation

You'll receive an email from Microsoft Invitations (invites@microsoft.com) with the subject line "You've been invited to access applications within the ACX Lab organization."

  1. Open the invitation email
  2. Click Accept invitation or Get Started
  3. Sign in with your @microsoft.com credentials when prompted
  4. Review and accept the permissions consent prompt

!!! note "Invitation expiry" The Entra invitation link expires after 30 days. If it has expired, re-register through the ACX Registration portal to get a new invitation.

Step 2: Set Up MFA

Multi-factor authentication is required for all ACX Lab access. If you haven't already set up MFA for your Microsoft account, you'll be prompted during first login.

  1. When prompted, select your preferred MFA method:
    • Microsoft Authenticator app (recommended)
    • Phone call
    • SMS text message
  2. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete MFA enrollment
  3. Verify MFA works by completing a test authentication

Step 3: Access the Azure Portal

Once your Entra guest account is active:

  1. Go to https://portal.azure.com
  2. Sign in with your @microsoft.com account
  3. Switch directory — Click your profile icon (top right) → Switch directory → Select the ACX Lab tenant (adaptivecloudlab.com)
  4. You should now see resource groups associated with the ACX Lab

!!! tip "Bookmark the direct link" After switching to the ACX Lab directory, copy the URL from your browser's address bar. It will include the tenant ID, so you can bookmark it and go directly to the ACX Lab tenant in the future.

Verify Your Access

After switching to the ACX Lab tenant, verify your access:

  1. Navigate to Resource groups in the left sidebar
  2. You should see at least one resource group (e.g., ACX-Users-<youralias> or ACX-Shared)
  3. If you don't see any resource groups, wait 15 minutes for RBAC propagation and refresh

Step 4: Retrieve Your AD Credentials

Your on-premises Active Directory credentials were sent in a separate secure email during registration. You'll need these for:

  • RDP connections to Windows VMs
  • SSH authentication to domain-joined Linux VMs
  • Accessing on-prem lab services

Your AD credentials follow this format:

Field Example
Username AC\youralias
Domain AC
Password (provided in secure email)

!!! danger "Save these credentials now" The AD password is sent once and is not stored anywhere you can retrieve it. Save it in your password manager immediately. If lost, contact the ACX Lab team for a manual reset.

Step 5: Verify End-to-End Access

Run through this checklist to confirm everything is working:

  • [x] Entra invitation redeemed
  • [x] MFA configured and working
  • [x] Azure portal accessible under ACX Lab tenant
  • [x] Resource groups visible
  • [x] AD credentials saved securely

Common First Login Issues

Issue Resolution
"You don't have access" in Azure portal Make sure you switched to the ACX Lab directory/tenant
No resource groups visible RBAC propagation can take up to 15 minutes. Wait and refresh.
MFA prompt loop Clear browser cache, try InPrivate/Incognito window
Invitation email not found Check Junk/Clutter. If expired, re-register at the ACX Registration portal.
AD credentials email not received Check Junk/Clutter folder. Contact ACX Lab team if not found.

Next Steps

Once you've verified access, proceed to Connecting to Resources to start using VMs, AKS clusters, and other lab resources.