VMware Horizon requires Microsoft AD to support the virtual desktop infrastructure. VMware Horizon supports all AD domain functional levels, starting with Windows 2003 up to Windows 2016.

Horizon also requires Domain Name System (DNS) servers that can resolve requests for the standard Service Record (SRV) and Resource Record (RR) DNS entries. Incomplete or inaccurate DNS entries can lead to issues with tasks, such as virtual desktop deployment and user authentication.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers are required in the Horizon environment to provide Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to the virtual desktops. In situations where the virtual desktops cannot self-register the IP addresses that they have been assigned, the DHCP server should be configured to register the entries with a DNS server that is accessible by the Horizon Connection Server.