RE: Azure active directory sync

Hi Jopi,

Thanks for the confirmation.

In the Windows Server 2012 R2 Essential, we can connect to Office 365 using a simplified procedure and without installing the Directory Sync (DirSync) tool manually. Let’s focus on the problem why the integration service is not running. To narrow down the issue, please try the steps below:

1. Uninstall the DirSync tool from the server.
2. Re-activate the integration service on the server.
3. Make sure all the necessary sync services are set to “Automatic” in the services management console (services.msc).
4. If still not work, check the event logs related to the service on the server and see if there are any errors.

At the same time, since the integration service may be different from DirSync, to check if there are any additional steps you may need to make on the server, I suggest you open a new thread with the details in our Windows Server Essential Forum. If you need any help from our side, please feel free to update this thread and I’m always here to help.