Active directory (AD) Domain Controllers (DC) discovery includes determining the topology of the network, such as the nodes and connections in the network. For example, synthetic data may be transferred within the network and traced to determine the presence and relationships of the various network components. Alternatively, other mapping techniques are based upon mapping a known set of nodes to determine the relationship of the nodes. Next, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) commands are forwarded to the various nodes to identify the AD DC within a range of IP addresses discovered during the mapping of to the topology of the network.