WD Lesson - 12

Restoring Active Directory

Prerequisites of Active Directory restore

There are two major preliminary tasks prior to performing any kind of restore. 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).

Performing an Active Directory restore

There are two major kinds of Active Directory restore as given below:

1. Non-authoritative restore
2. Authoritative restore.

The default method of restoring the system state data to a domain controller is non-authoritative. We must be a member of the Administrators or the Backup Operators groups to perform a restore.

Authoritative vs. Non-authoritative restore

In Non-authoritative restore, the restoration is alone from backup media and all the changes made since the backup are updated through normal replications.

            Where as in Authoritative restore, the restoration is done from backup media and all the changes made since the backup are overwritten. We must perform this if we have inadvertently deleted some of the required Active Directory records.

Non-authoritative Active Directory restore

To non-authoritatively restore Active Directory, complete the following steps:

1.         Restart the computer.

2.         During the phase of startup where the operating system is normally selected, press F8.

3.         Select Directory Services Restore Mode and press ENTER.

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

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

6. The above screenshot shows the Backup or restore wizard, we must select the Restore file and settings radio button.

7. Afterwards we must follow the onscreen instructions as per requirement till we reach at the What to restore dialog box as shown below:

8. As shown in the above fig. now we should tick mark system state, then click Next.

9. The forthcoming dialog boxes ask for destination drive which once given the Active Directory restore task continues and gets finished.

Authoritative Active Directory Restore

• The Authoritative restore can be performed only after Non-Authoritative restore. 

•  So we should go for the following steps after performing a Non-Authoritative restore.

1. Point to Start, then select Command Prompt.
2. At the command prompt, type ntdsutil and press ENTER.
3. At the Ntdsutil prompt, type authoritative restore and press ENTER.