Introduction
Correctly backing up and restoring Active Directory (AD) has always been a challenge. AD is a network structure that stores the domain as well as the network information of computers and devices. The AD of any organization resides on each domain controller and replicates itself between the domain controllers. It is essential to understand the type of backup to use to backup and ensure full recoverability of AD. This is because a crash of a domain controller results in loss of all network information. A full backup ensures that a system state can be restored to its previous state without anything, or much data. Numerous Windows tools can be used to backup Active Directory Database. The tool used depends on the Windows operating system running on the domain controller.
Windows Tool to Utilize
In the case provided, the windows tool that I recommend the new CEO to utilize is Windows Server Backup (Wbadmin). This is a replacement of the aging NTBackup. The Windows Backup Server comes with all versions of windows server. The tool gives powerful new options to protect the Active Directory data from being deleted accidentally (Grillenmeier, 2008). Additionally, it gives new ways to restore attribute data for AD.
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Files and Directories that should be Backed Up
As long as the data is less than 2 terabytes, organizations can use Windows Server Backup to backup and restore a full server, the system state, or specific files or folders. The system state is the most important thing that the new CEO ought to backup for the AD. This is because it is composed of an “Active Directory Database (domain controllers), Sysvol shared folder (domain controllers), Certificate Services Database (Certification Authorities), Cluster Database (Failover cluster nodes), Boot files, system files, and files covered by Windows File Protection, Windows Registry, Performance Monitor Counter Configuration Data, and Component Service Class Registration Database” (Warner, 2018). In a multi-domain forest, I recommend that the CEO to backup each domain separately.
Procedure for Restoring the Backups
There is no order for backing up the system state. However, there is an order that ought to be followed when restoring the system state. The backup must always be performed online. However, the restoration of the system state is always performed offline (Kennedy and Satran, 2018). According to Kennedy and Satran (2018), the following order need to be followed when restoring the system state.
Restore the boot files.
Restore SysVol (system volume), certificate Server, Cluster database and COM+ class registration database, as applicable.
Restore the Active Directory Server.
Restore the registry.
Conclusion
The Windows Server Backup is a vital tool for backing up Active Directory Database. It comes with all versions of Windows Server. The tool can be used to back up a full server, system state, or specific files and folders. Although there is no procedure to back up the system state, there is a procedure for restoring the system state. The procedure for restoring the system state follows the following order; restoring the boot files, followed by the system volume, certificate server, cluster database, and COM+ class registration database. This is then followed by restoring the Active Directory Server and then restoring the registry.
References
Grillenmeier, G. (2008). Windows Server Backup for Active Directory. [Online]. Available at: https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-78/windows-server-backup-active-directory . Accessed 12 th April 2019.
Kennedy, J., and Satran, M. (2018). Backing Up and Restoring an Active Directory Server. [Online]. Available at: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/ad/backing-up-and-restoring-an-active-directory-server . Accessed 12 th April 2019.
Warner, T. (2018). How to Back Up and Windows Server 2016 Domain Controller. [Online]. Available at: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/11032-back-up-windows-server-2016-domain-controller.html . Accessed 12 th April 2019.
