Directory Service Support for MSIX App Attach

AZ-140 By islever Editorial Last updated

Install and configure apps on a session host

Short answer

B MSIX app attach is supported only with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).

Question

You have an Azure Virtual Desktop deployment. You plan to deploy a host pool named Pool1 that will contain 10 session hosts. The session hosts will use MSIX app attach. Which directory service supports MSIX app attach?
  1. Microsoft Entra ID only
  2. Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) only Correct Answer
  3. Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and Microsoft Entra Domain Services only
  4. Microsoft Entra ID and Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) only
  5. Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Entra Domain Services only

Key Takeaways

MSIX app attach requires traditional Active Directory domain join; assuming cloud-only identity providers like Microsoft Entra ID are supported is the common trap.

MSIX app attach in Azure Virtual Desktop has specific identity provider requirements. This page establishes that Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is the only supported directory service for this feature.

Common mistake: Choosing Microsoft Entra ID or Microsoft Entra Domain Services because they are commonly used for Azure Virtual Desktop, failing to recognize MSIX app attach's strict AD DS requirement.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

MSIX app attach relies on Active Directory computer objects and specific Group Policy extensions to mount and register MSIX packages dynamically. Because of these deep dependencies on traditional domain features, it currently only supports Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) as the identity provider.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Options including Microsoft Entra ID or Microsoft Entra Domain Services are incorrect because MSIX app attach does not support cloud-only or managed domain environments for app package registration. Microsoft Entra ID lacks the required computer object attributes and Group Policy support, while Microsoft Entra Domain Services does not support the necessary schema extensions.

Community Comment Notes

The community strongly agrees on AD DS only, frequently citing the official documentation. As jeff1988 noted, "MSIX app attach is supported only with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)" directly from the Microsoft overview. Multiple other users referenced the same documentation pivot to confirm the restriction.

Official Reference

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-overview

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

For Azure Virtual Desktop feature questions, pay close attention to identity provider prerequisites. Features involving complex host-level integrations, like MSIX app attach, often strictly require AD DS rather than cloud-based identity solutions.

Community Votes

B
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 6 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors, not of islever. The comments shown first are the most substantive of the thread — ranked by depth, community endorsement and relevance; expand the list below to read the rest.

From public community threads 6

  1. jeff1988 👍 3 Answered B
    B. Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) only MSIX app attach is supported only with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-overview
  2. Darkphoenix126 👍 2 Answered B
    According to the link below, I see only AD DS is supported. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-overview?pivots=msix-app-attach
  3. exam2301 👍 2
    It should be B according to this article https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-overview?pivots=msix-app-attach
  4. Bonesurfer 👍 2
    B https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-overview?pivots=msix-app-attach#identity-providers
  5. zapi 👍 1 Answered B
    It's explained here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/app-attach-overview?pivots=msix-app-attach#identity-providers
Show 1 more comment
  1. Moot2 👍 2 Answered B
    AD DS Only

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