SUMMARY
How do I restore Active Directory?
ISSUE
Purpose
Restore Active Directory
Description
Active Directory restores are performed as part of a standard system state restore.
Cause
Resolution
To restore the Active Directory database as part of a system state restore, boot your domain controller into Directory Service Restore mode. Then from the Unitrends system, navigate to Recover > Backup Catalog, select your domain controller, select which backup you'd like to restore from, and click Recover Files. In this screen you will see a list of all files performed during the backup. The system state of your server - which contains your Active Directory database and SYSVOL folders - will be labeled as C:/###Unitrends###. Select this file and click Restore. This will be a non-authoritative restore.
Granular Recovery of Active Directory Objects
Unitrends does not support the granular restore of individual security principles such as user or computer objects.
Windows' built-in wbadmin CLI tool can be used for granular object restore. This tool can be used in conjunction with Unitrends backups.
Workflow:
Active Directory is completely lost and must be recovered: restore with Unitrends following the steps above.
Active Directory is functional but specific objects must be recovered: restore from wbadmin system state backups.
Unitrends backups will capture the wbadmin files, allowing for long-term retention without the need to maintain hundreds of wbadmin files on the domain controller itself. Administrators can restore the wbadmin folder to any file path on the DC, then leverage Windows' ntdsutil command to authoritatively restore specific objects. Assistance with ntdsutil is not in scope of Unitrends Support.
Resolution
Third-Party Sources