Can a Windows Server be connected to an Active Directory domain without being a domain controller? Here's the scenario: I want to use Windows Server 2012 to run several virtual machines for testing our web application in a variety of environments. We have a corporate domain, and I'd like to use the corporate login (or at least a common login) on each of the virtual machines without necessarily having to get IT to set up each virtual machine on the corporate domain. Also, I need the server itself to be able to authenticate domain logins (the app uses domain login information for users to login). However, I absolutely do NOT want it to be a DC on the corporate network. Thus, my questions: Can a Windows Server be connected to an Active Directory domain without being a DC? Can a Windows Server authenticate users on another domain without being a part of that domain? Can a Windows Server be a domain controller in a small network (comprised of just the server and itself) and use the corporate domain's Active Directory for authenticating user logins to the server, the web app, and the virtual machines?