Restoring AD form System State to another Computer

[enn]

hello!

I need to restore AD information from System State Backup
to another server (different hardware cofiguration). But how
can I restore _only_ Active Directory (accounts, objects,
trusts, passwords, etc)?

If I do System State restore, then all hardware configuration will
be tangled

enn

 

[Ulric [MS]]

Hi Enn,

If you want to move a DC to another machine then you should do it by making
a replica DC on the new hardware and then moving over FSMO roles, etc if
possible. Only consider the restore option if you have had a disaster and
lost the hardware from your one and only DC.

If this is a disaster case:

For Windows Server 2003, the recommended method for doing this is to use the
Automated System Recovery (ASR) option available in ntbackup which will
create a floppy disk in addition to the system state backup. When you are
installing the OS again on the new server you cho0se the recovery option in
text mode setup and you will be given a choice to recover from this backup.
This will take care of drive lettering concerns for you.

If you are on Windows 2000 then you have to do this process manually with a
System State Backup in ntbackup (or other Backup application). You cannot
separate out just the Active Directory. When you install the OS on the new
machine, you need to letter the drives exactly the same on the new server as
the backed up one and make the Windir the same as well. Then you can restore
the System state backup. You should try to have the hardware be as similar
as possible but PnP will take care of most differences and you will be fine.
A different HAL can cause trouble though.

-Ulric