Backup AD or Directory services

[Emyeu]

i am worry that my Domain Controller will crash on day.
How to have a complete backup of the AD, DS, DNS etc.... ?
When something happen, i just need to install Windows 2003 server o/s and
recover the DC from the backup i did.

 

[Herb Martin]

i am worry that my Domain Controller will crash on day.
How to have a complete backup of the AD, DS, DNS etc.... ?

The stock answer is to back up the entire machine.

You will get those items listed above, enough to get
a DC (or other machine) at least minimally running,
by makine "System State Backups".

You might consider making regular full backups and
more frequent System State Backups.

When something happen, i just need to install Windows 2003 server o/s and
recover the DC from the backup i did.

You restore the System State Backup over the top of
a new install -- IF YOU MUST.

Best is to just be able to restore the DC.

If possible, you should also have a second DC/DNS
server running and online -- then recovery can be much
easier and simpler (especially if your backups are not
fully up to date.)

System State is NOT going to recover most ordindary
applications so if you use the DC for other purposes
or have other data stored there you MUST use the full
backup strategy.
[/QUOTE]

 

[Jimmy Andersson [MVP]]

Active Directory Operations Guide: Appendix A - Tasks Reference:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...maintain/opsguide/part2/adogdapa.mspx#E0MB0AA

How to Back Up and Restore the System State in Windows 2000:
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q240363

Windows NT4.0 and Windows 2000 Disaster Recovery and Backup and Restore
Procedures:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q287061

Backup of the Active Directory Has 60-Day Useful Life:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q216993

Restore System State data:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/.../proddocs/en-us/ntbackup_restore_sysstate.asp

Regards,
/Jimmy

 

[Dave Shaw [MVP - Directory Services]]

In addition to the other two very good responses:

Disaster Recovery is made much easier if you have multiple DCs per domain
(obvious). Ensuring you have DCs for a domain in distributed locations is
also smart as well.

There are two basic approaches to DC recovery:

- Complete replacement of DC - This requires installing a new OS and
promoting the computer to become a Domain Controller. The advantage is that
you don't need to restore anything from backup. This will also require
performing a MetaData cleanup before running DCPROMO on the new DC.
- Restore the DC from backup - This doesn't require MetaData Cleanup,
but *does* require that you have a valid backup of *that* server - both OS
and Directory.

Regarding backups:

You don't have to backup *all* your DCs all the time. Microsoft doesn't
recommend it anyway. Backup as often as you think is necessary to ensure
you have a most recent copy of your directory. If you have multiple DCs in
a domain in multiple different locations, you only need backups in the case
of:

- Entire Forest Recovery
- Entire Domain Recovery

Your disaster plan should address when those two scenarios would be
necessary.

-ds