Azure AD - ADFS accounts without synchronization

Question

Couple of simple (I hope) questions:

• is it possible to authenticate users through on-premise ADFS server in Azure without actually importing users to the Azure AD? Or the user always has to be imported because only then he gets Azure Id and can use Azure resources?

• is there any option except Azure AD Connect to establish connection between ADFS server and Azure AD (so ADFS users can be authenticated)? The thing is that I don't have access to physical ADFS server, so I cannot install Azure AD Connect there.

Regards and thanks!

Answer 1

• No.
• In order to install AD Connect you need Windows AD admin credentials which will get you access to the ADFS servers added. AD Connect does not need to be installed in such servers.