Unable to Create Azure Active Directory Application when setting up Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 Restore Portal


Userlevel 7
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Found a perplexing issue when I was setting up VB365 the other day.  I was attempting to set up the Restore Portal in my multitenant environment using Jorge’s guide (for v6 mind you, but close enough) but when I was attempting to create the Azure AD application, I was receiving a pretty non-descript error.

Veeam Error:  “Failed to create Azure Active Directory application.”

 

A bit of googling didn’t turn up much.  After a lot of troubleshooting, I did manage to get an error when attempting to use an existing Application ID that I had renamed/repurposed about an invalid name but wrote it off because it was a strange possible workaround.  I thought that perhaps it was a certificate issue, something wrong with the port I was using, REST API settings, etc.

So, like any reasonable person, I created a support ticket and gathered logs.  Props to support for isolating the issue on first try quickly with the logs provided.  And indeed, Azure AD was blocking the application due to an invalid name.  I attempted to manually register an application and was able to receive the same error, but a bit more descriptive.

Azure AD Error:  “Failed to create application.  Error Detail:  The name of your application is invalid.”

 

I looked in the logs that I had gathered after the fact and found in the Veeam.Archiver.Service log the below message:

Veeam.Archiver.Service log showing error “ProhibitedWordInDisplayName”

 

I’m not sure I got absolute results, but it was acting as if I couldn’t use the word “Microsoft” in the application name (“M365” worked instead of “Microsoft 365”) which seems like it would make sense.  I had a few other variations not seem to work as well but I’d say it was largely due to using Microsoft in the app name.

I also found during testing that if an application was previously created with the same name, but had been deleted but not removed from the deleted queue (Delete Permanently), that will cause a failure as well. 

And I wasn’t able to find any good documentation on what was and was not a valid Azure AD application name in Microsoft’s documentation, but if anyone else runs into this issue, make sure to check your App name, and when in doubt, you can try and register the app manually to get a more descriptive error, or if you know where to look, check the Veeam error logs.

Edit:  Special thanks to @marco_s for finding this article listing reserved resource names which does included “Microsoft” on the list among others.


10 comments

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

I don't work much with Azure but this was interesting and a good find. I am sure it will help others. 👍

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi Derek, if I took the right link, there is a length restriction of 32 characters: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/resource-name-rules#microsoftapp

Userlevel 7
Badge +6

Hi Derek, if I took the right link, there is a length restriction of 32 characters: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/resource-name-rules#microsoftapp

 

Hi Marco, I did find that information, but was able to create Application names that were longer than 32 characters at one point, so I believe that’s either outdated information or applies to something else.

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi Derek, if I took the right link, there is a length restriction of 32 characters: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/resource-name-rules#microsoftapp

 

Hi Marco, I did find that information, but was able to create Application names that were longer than 32 characters at one point, so I believe that’s either outdated information or applies to something else.

Ok..so maybe you can’t use “Microsoft” 😅 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/troubleshooting/error-reserved-resource-name

Userlevel 7
Badge +6

Hi Derek, if I took the right link, there is a length restriction of 32 characters: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/resource-name-rules#microsoftapp

 

Hi Marco, I did find that information, but was able to create Application names that were longer than 32 characters at one point, so I believe that’s either outdated information or applies to something else.

Ok..so maybe you can’t use “Microsoft” 😅 https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/troubleshooting/error-reserved-resource-name

Oh..that’s awesome...not sure how I missed that article!

Userlevel 7
Badge +6

I don't work much with Azure but this was interesting and a good find. I am sure it will help others. 👍

I don’t either which is what makes this a bit more difficult.  But the Jorge’s guides as well as the Veeam documentation spell it out pretty clearly of what’s required, but unfortunately it took opening a support case to find out about the naming issue.  I did tell the support engineer that he should probably pass along back to R&D about making that error a bit less generic and pushing through the error that Azure AD passed along.

Userlevel 7
Badge +20

I don't work much with Azure but this was interesting and a good find. I am sure it will help others. 👍

I don’t either which is what makes this a bit more difficult.  But the Jorge’s guides as well as the Veeam documentation spell it out pretty clearly of what’s required, but unfortunately it took opening a support case to find out about the naming issue.  I did tell the support engineer that he should probably pass along back to R&D about making that error a bit less generic and pushing through the error that Azure AD passed along.

Hopefully he takes your feedback.

Userlevel 7
Badge +17

“I did tell the support engineer that he should probably pass along back to R&D about making that error a bit less generic and pushing through the error that Azure AD passed along.”

I was going to suggest doing the same.

Userlevel 7
Badge +6

“I did tell the support engineer that he should probably pass along back to R&D about making that error a bit less generic and pushing through the error that Azure AD passed along.”

I was going to suggest doing the same.

I need to start my list of suggestions and questions for Prague….I had one the other day, but I don’t remember what it was….but I think I did post it in the R&D forums so I can go back and look….

Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Yep..good idea.

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