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Multi-Cloud Identity Federation Guide

Guide for setting up identity federation between AWS, Azure AD, and GCP.

CloudToolStack Team15 min readPublished Feb 22, 2026

Prerequisites

Federation Configuration

Select a source and target provider to view the federation guide.

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Key Takeaways

  1. 1Identity federation eliminates the need for separate credentials per cloud provider.
  2. 2SAML 2.0 and OIDC are the two primary federation protocols supported by all clouds.
  3. 3Workload Identity Federation (GCP) and IAM OIDC providers (AWS) enable keyless CI/CD.
  4. 4Azure AD can serve as a central identity provider for all three cloud platforms.
  5. 5Token exchange and attribute mapping are critical for correct role assignment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is identity federation in cloud computing?
Identity federation allows users to authenticate with one identity provider and access resources across multiple cloud platforms without separate credentials. It uses standards like SAML 2.0 and OIDC to establish trust between providers.
Can I use GitHub Actions with all three cloud providers without storing secrets?
Yes. AWS supports OIDC federation with GitHub Actions, GCP offers Workload Identity Federation, and Azure supports federated credentials for service principals. All allow GitHub Actions to authenticate without long-lived secrets.
Is SAML or OIDC better for cloud federation?
OIDC is generally preferred for modern implementations as it is simpler, uses JWT tokens, and has better support for machine-to-machine authentication. SAML is still widely used for enterprise SSO with legacy identity providers.
How do I set up Azure AD as an identity provider for AWS?
Create an enterprise application in Azure AD, configure SAML SSO, add AWS as a SAML service provider, map Azure AD groups to AWS IAM roles, and configure the trust relationship in AWS IAM with the SAML metadata document.
What are the security risks of identity federation?
Key risks include token theft or replay attacks, misconfigured attribute mappings granting excessive permissions, identity provider compromise affecting all federated platforms, and stale federation trust relationships.

Written by CloudToolStack Team

Cloud engineers and architects with hands-on experience across AWS, Azure, and GCP. We write guides based on real-world production patterns, not just documentation rewrites.

Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes. Cloud services change frequently; always refer to official documentation for the latest information. AWS, Azure, and GCP are trademarks of their respective owners.