# SkillPatch skill: azure-identity-dotnet

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for using the Azure Identity library for .NET to authenticate Azure SDK clients via Microsoft Entra ID. It covers installation, environment variable configuration, and detailed usage examples for credential types including DefaultAzureCredential, ManagedIdentityCredential, ClientSecretCredential, and ClientCertificateCredential. It also includes ASP.NET Core dependency injection integration patterns.

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---

## Skill files (1)

- `SKILL.md`


### `SKILL.md`

````markdown
---
name: azure-identity-dotnet
description: |
  Azure Identity library for .NET. Authentication library for Azure SDK clients using Microsoft Entra ID. Use for DefaultAzureCredential, managed identity, service principals, and developer credentials. Triggers: "Azure Identity", "DefaultAzureCredential", "ManagedIdentityCredential", "ClientSecretCredential", "authentication .NET", "Azure auth", "credential chain".
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: Microsoft
  version: "1.0.0"
  package: Azure.Identity
---

# Azure Identity library for .NET

Authentication library for Azure SDK clients using Microsoft Entra ID.

## Installation

```bash
dotnet add package Azure.Identity

# For ASP.NET Core integration
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Azure

# For brokered authentication and Visual Studio Code credential support
dotnet add package Azure.Identity.Broker
```

## Environment Variables

### Service Principal with Secret

```bash
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<application-client-id>
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<directory-tenant-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=<client-secret-value>
```

### Service Principal with Certificate

```bash
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<application-client-id>
AZURE_TENANT_ID=<directory-tenant-id>
AZURE_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_PATH=<path-to-pfx-or-pem>
AZURE_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD=<certificate-password>  # Optional
```

### Managed Identity

```bash
AZURE_CLIENT_ID=<user-assigned-managed-identity-client-id>  # Only for user-assigned
```

## DefaultAzureCredential

The recommended credential for most scenarios. Tries multiple authentication methods in order. See [DefaultAzureCredential overview](https://aka.ms/azsdk/net/identity/credential-chains#defaultazurecredential-overview) for the current credential chain order and defaults.

### Basic Usage

```csharp
using Azure.Identity;
using Azure.Storage.Blobs;

var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
var blobClient = new BlobServiceClient(
    new Uri("https://myaccount.blob.core.windows.net"),
    credential);
```

### ASP.NET Core with Dependency Injection

```csharp
using Azure.Identity;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Azure;

builder.Services.AddAzureClients(clientBuilder =>
{
    clientBuilder.AddBlobServiceClient(
        new Uri("https://myaccount.blob.core.windows.net"));
    clientBuilder.AddSecretClient(
        new Uri("https://myvault.vault.azure.net"));
    
    // Uses DefaultAzureCredential by default
    clientBuilder.UseCredential(new DefaultAzureCredential());
});
```

### Customizing DefaultAzureCredential

```csharp
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential(
    new DefaultAzureCredentialOptions
    {
        ExcludeEnvironmentCredential = true,
        ExcludeManagedIdentityCredential = false,
        ExcludeVisualStudioCredential = false,
        ExcludeAzureCliCredential = false,
        ExcludeInteractiveBrowserCredential = false, // Enable interactive
        TenantId = "<tenant-id>",
        ManagedIdentityClientId = "<user-assigned-mi-client-id>"
    });
```

## Credential Types

### ManagedIdentityCredential (Production)

```csharp
// System-assigned managed identity
var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential(ManagedIdentityId.SystemAssigned);

// User-assigned by client ID
var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential(
    ManagedIdentityId.FromUserAssignedClientId("<client-id>"));

// User-assigned by resource ID
var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential(
    ManagedIdentityId.FromUserAssignedResourceId("<resource-id>"));

// User-assigned by object ID
var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential(
    ManagedIdentityId.FromUserAssignedObjectId("<object-id>"));
```

### ClientSecretCredential

```csharp
var credential = new ClientSecretCredential(
    tenantId: "<tenant-id>",
    clientId: "<client-id>",
    clientSecret: "<client-secret>");

var client = new SecretClient(
    new Uri("https://myvault.vault.azure.net"),
    credential);
```

### ClientCertificateCredential

```csharp
var certificate = X509CertificateLoader.LoadCertificateFromFile("MyCertificate.pfx");
var credential = new ClientCertificateCredential(
    tenantId: "<tenant-id>",
    clientId: "<client-id>",
    certificate);
```

### ChainedTokenCredential (Custom Chain)

```csharp
var credential = new ChainedTokenCredential(
    new ManagedIdentityCredential(),
    new AzureCliCredential());

var client = new SecretClient(
    new Uri("https://myvault.vault.azure.net"),
    credential);
```

### Developer Credentials

```csharp
// Azure CLI
var credential = new AzureCliCredential();

// Azure PowerShell
var credential = new AzurePowerShellCredential();

// Azure Developer CLI (azd)
var credential = new AzureDeveloperCliCredential();

// Visual Studio
var credential = new VisualStudioCredential();

// Interactive Browser
var credential = new InteractiveBrowserCredential();
```

## Environment-Based Configuration

```csharp
// Production vs Development
TokenCredential credential = builder.Environment.IsProduction()
    ? new ManagedIdentityCredential("<client-id>")
    : new DefaultAzureCredential();
```

## Sovereign Clouds

```csharp
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential(
    new DefaultAzureCredentialOptions
    {
        AuthorityHost = AzureAuthorityHosts.AzureGovernment
    });

// Available authority hosts:
// AzureAuthorityHosts.AzurePublicCloud (default)
// AzureAuthorityHosts.AzureGovernment
// AzureAuthorityHosts.AzureChina
```

## Credential Types Reference

| Category | Credential | Purpose |
|----------|------------|---------|
| **Chains** | `DefaultAzureCredential` | Preconfigured chain for dev-to-prod |
| | `ChainedTokenCredential` | Custom credential chain |
| **Azure-Hosted** | `ManagedIdentityCredential` | Azure managed identity |
| | `WorkloadIdentityCredential` | Kubernetes workload identity |
| | `EnvironmentCredential` | Environment variables |
| **Service Principal** | `ClientSecretCredential` | Client ID + secret |
| | `ClientCertificateCredential` | Client ID + certificate |
| | `ClientAssertionCredential` | Signed client assertion |
| **User** | `InteractiveBrowserCredential` | Browser-based auth |
| | `DeviceCodeCredential` | Device code flow |
| | `OnBehalfOfCredential` | Delegated identity |
| **Developer** | `AzureCliCredential` | Azure CLI |
| | `AzurePowerShellCredential` | Azure PowerShell |
| | `AzureDeveloperCliCredential` | Azure Developer CLI |
| | `VisualStudioCredential` | Visual Studio |

## Best Practices

### 1. Use Deterministic Credentials in Production

```csharp
// Development
var devCredential = new DefaultAzureCredential();

// Production - use specific credential
var prodCredential = new ManagedIdentityCredential(
    ManagedIdentityId.FromUserAssignedClientId("<client-id>"));
```

### 2. Reuse Credential Instances

```csharp
// Good: Single credential instance shared across clients
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential();
var blobClient = new BlobServiceClient(blobUri, credential);
var secretClient = new SecretClient(vaultUri, credential);
```

### 3. Configure Retry Policies

```csharp
var options = new ManagedIdentityCredentialOptions(
    ManagedIdentityId.FromUserAssignedClientId(clientId))
{
    Retry =
    {
        MaxRetries = 3,
        Delay = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(0.5),
    }
};
var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential(options);
```

### 4. Enable Logging for Debugging

```csharp
using Azure.Core.Diagnostics;

using AzureEventSourceListener listener = new((args, message) =>
{
    if (args is { EventSource.Name: "Azure-Identity" })
    {
        Console.WriteLine(message);
    }
}, EventLevel.LogAlways);
```

## Error Handling

```csharp
using Azure.Identity;
using Azure.Security.KeyVault.Secrets;

var client = new SecretClient(
    new Uri("https://myvault.vault.azure.net"),
    new DefaultAzureCredential());

try
{
    KeyVaultSecret secret = await client.GetSecretAsync("secret1");
}
catch (AuthenticationFailedException e)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Authentication Failed: {e.Message}");
}
catch (CredentialUnavailableException e)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Credential Unavailable: {e.Message}");
}
```

## Key Exceptions

| Exception | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| `AuthenticationFailedException` | Base exception for authentication errors |
| `CredentialUnavailableException` | Credential cannot authenticate in current environment |
| `AuthenticationRequiredException` | Interactive authentication is required |

## Managed Identity Support

Supported Azure services:
- Azure App Service and Azure Functions
- Azure Arc
- Azure Cloud Shell
- Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
- Azure Service Fabric
- Azure Virtual Machines
- Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets

## Thread Safety

All credential implementations are thread-safe. A single credential instance can be safely shared across multiple clients and threads.

## Related packages

| Package                      | Purpose                       | Install                                         |
|------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| `Azure.Identity`             | Authentication (this library) | `dotnet add package Azure.Identity`             |
| `Microsoft.Extensions.Azure` | DI integration                | `dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Azure` |
| `Azure.Identity.Broker`      | Brokered auth                 | `dotnet add package Azure.Identity.Broker`      |

## Reference Links

| Resource | URL |
|----------|-----|
| NuGet Package | https://www.nuget.org/packages/Azure.Identity |
| API Reference | https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/azure.identity |
| Credential Chains | https://aka.ms/azsdk/net/identity/credential-chains |
| Best Practices | https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/azure/sdk/authentication/best-practices |
| GitHub Source | https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-net/tree/main/sdk/identity/Azure.Identity |

````