Major Update to: Hybrid for SharePoint Server 2013 and Office 365

The official Microsoft article on TechNet on Hybrid environments for SharePoint 2013 and Office 365 has received a major updated, now including a lot more information. Here’s what has changed:

Previously

The previous article was basically a summary of what resources are available for download for hybrid environments, namely the following four resources:

• Configure a one-way hybrid environment with SharePoint Server 2013 and Office 365This document describes how to configure a hybrid environment that integrates SharePoint Server 2013 and the newest version of Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise, which includes the new SharePoint Online, with single sign-on, identity management, and one-way federated search in which Office 365 content appears in on-premises search results.
• Configure a two-way hybrid search environment with SharePoint Server 2013 and Office 365
  This document describes how to configure a hybrid environment that integrates SharePoint Server 2013 and the newest version of Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise, which includes the new SharePoint Online, with single sign-on, identity management, and bi-directional federated search.
• SharePoint 2013 Business Connectivity Services Hybrid Overview
  This document explains what a Business Connectivity Services Hybrid environment is and why you would use it. It identifies the components that are involved and explains their roles in the solution. It also shows you how a Business Connectivity Services Hybrid solution works.
• SharePoint 2013 Business Connectivity Services Hybrid Poster
  This full size poster explains the flow of data and authentication in a Business Connectivity Services Hybrid environment.

The updated article

The updated article (more specifically, articles, as the content has been spread of several pages) contains the information from the previously mentioned documents as well as more additional guidance, e.g. around setting up ADFS proxies. It is divided into the following three phases of a deployment:

1. Phase 1: Configure the hybrid environment infrastructure
   In Phase 1, you configure the basic infrastructure for a hybrid environment by using SharePoint Server 2013 and SharePoint Online. 
2. Phase 2: Configure the hybrid identity management infrastructure
   In Phase 2, you configure identity management for your hybrid environment.
3. Phase 3: Configure a hybrid solution by using Search, Business Connectivity Services or Duet Enterprise Online
   In Phase 3, you configure the solution or solutions that best meet your business needs.

Especially the additional guidance around setting up an ADFS proxy, here naturally Forefront TMG, is extremely valuable as it wasn’t available before.