WD Lesson - 11

Backing Up Active Directory

Prerequisites of Active Directory backup

There are two major preliminary tasks prior to performing any kind of backup. These are:

1. We must prepare the files that we want to backup (in this case the Active Directory database).
2. We must prepare the destination that we want to use for backup(CD,DVD,HDD or tape drive)

Creating an Active Directory Backup

To create an Active Directory backup, complete the following steps:

1. Log on to your domain as Administrator, point to Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and select Backup.

2. On the Welcome To The Backup Or Restore Wizard page, click Next.

3. The above screenshot shows, Backup Or Restore page, we must select Backup Files And Settings, and then click Next.

4. Afterwards we must follow the onscreen instructions as per our requirement till we reach the Items To Back Up page, shown below:

5. As shown in the above Figure, we should tick mark System State and then click Next.

6. The forth coming dialogue boxes ask for destination drive, which once given the Active Directory backup task continues and gets finished.

Scheduling Unattended Backup

Scheduling an Active Directory backup operation means that we can have an

unattended backup job occur later when we are not at work and files are closed.

            For this purpose we need to for editing the When To Back Up dialogue box while dealing with the backup wizard as shown in the following figure.

We shall have to go for clicking the tab named Set Schedule and then follow the onscreen instructions till end.

            By using the set schedule option we can get the backup task done automatically even when we are absent.