---
title: "VMware ESXi 5.5 Active Directory authentication – step by step"
date: "2013-12-24T18:00:36Z"
tags: ["Active Directory", "ESXi"]
categories: ["Networking & Security", "VMware"]
---

![Authentication][1]

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to skip creation of local user on each ESXi host and use only one account to rule them all?

If yes then I have good news for you - you can use Active Directory together with VMware ESXi. I will show you how you can do it in few steps.
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## Prerequisites:

In order to successfully authenticate Active Directory in ESXi hosts you must have:

* Correct DNS servers configured on ESXi hosts
* Your Active Directory account should have rights to add Computer objects in Active Directory

## ESXi configuration

1. Login to ESXi using root account.
2. Navigate to **Configuration \ Authentication Services<br>
![ESXi Active Directory Authentication 1][2]
3. Click **Properties** and change Local Authentication to **Active Directory**.<br>
![ESXi Active Directory Authentication 2][3]
4. Enter domain name, click **Join Domain** and give User name and password for valid user account which can join computers to Active Directory.<br>
![ESXi Active Directory Authentication 3][4]
5. You are done! Your ESXi server is added to Active Directory domain.<br>
![ESXi Active Directory Authentication 4][5]
6. Now you need to assign user or group to specific role in ESXi. In order to do this navigate to **Home** \ **Inventory** \ **Permissions** and click **Add Permission**.<br>
![ESXi Active Directory Authentication 5][6]

Select appropriate role (Administrator, Read-Only, No access) and provide user or group name.

[1]: /images/uploads/2013/11/Authentication.webp
[2]: /images/uploads/2013/12/ESXi-Active-Directory-Authentication-1.webp
[3]: /images/uploads/2013/12/ESXi-Active-Directory-Authentication-2.webp
[4]: /images/uploads/2013/12/ESXi-Active-Directory-Authentication-3.webp
[5]: /images/uploads/2013/12/ESXi-Active-Directory-Authentication-4.webp
[6]: /images/uploads/2013/12/esxi-active-directory-authentication-5.webp