Versions of Active Directory supported in vCenter Server

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides information on vCenter Server, vCenter Single Sign-On and the VMware Platform Services Controller interoperability with Active Directory versions based on the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain functional level, not on the Windows Server operating system on which Active Directory is running. Customer can upgrade their Active Directory environments and change their Active Directory functionality level without having to upgrade their vSphere environment.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server Appliance 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.7.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.x
VMware VirtualCenter 1.1.x
VMware VirtualCenter 1.2.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware VirtualCenter 1.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 5.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.7.x
VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x

Resolution

This table describes the supported Domain Functionality levels required for versions of VirtualCenter and vCenter Server for user authentication with Active Directory to function. See the notes where applicable.

 

vCenter Server Version	Domain Functional Level
	Windows Server 2012	Windows Server 2012 R2	Windows Server 2016
6.0	Yes	Yes	Yes*
6.5	Yes	Yes	Yes*
6.7	Yes	Yes	Yes*
7.0	Yes	Yes	Yes
8.0	Yes	Yes	Yes

Notes:

* As of vSphere 6.0 Update 3a, vSphere 6.5 Update 2d, and vSphere 6.7 Update 1, this Active Directory Domain Functionality Level is now supported.

Additional Information

For information related to VMware ESXi, see Versions of Active Directory supported in VMware ESXi (broadcom.com)

For related information, see the Microsoft TechNet article Understanding Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Functional Levels.
For Forest and Domain Functional Levels, see Microsoft article https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/active-directory-functional-levels

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Note: 

Correlating build numbers and versions of VMware products (broadcom.com)
Microsoft Active Directory Trusts supported with VMware vCenter Single Sign-On (broadcom.com)