Recovery Manager for AD 10.3 - User Guide

Primary Restore of SYSVOL

Use this page to specify whether to perform a primary restore of SYSVOL. This window appears if the wizard fails to access the SYSVOL share on any domain controller within the domain.

The Perform a primary restore of the SYSVOL check box forces the wizard to perform a primary restore of SYSVOL.

To restore the SYSVOL data as the primary data

• Select the check box in the Primary Restore of SYSVOL window.

If the domain controller being recovered is the only functioning domain controller in the domain, the SYSVOL data must be restored as the primary data. As a result, a new replication service database is created by loading the data present under the SYSVOL on the local domain controller. A primary restore is the same as non-authoritative except that the restored SYSVOL is marked as Primary.

Only use this option when the SYSVOL data is lost on all the domain controllers in the domain. Do not select the Perform a primary restore of the SYSVOL check box if the SYSVOL shares exist on other operational domain controllers in the domain. This option is only intended for disaster recovery cases when all members of the SYSVOL replica set are lost. Setting a member as primary when it has other members from which to synchronize may result in breaking the replication of the SYSVOL share.

Restore Process Start

This page provides an overview of the settings you have specified in the previous steps of the wizard. To start the operation, click Next. To review or change your settings, click Back.

Restore Progress

This page shows the progress of the operation. You can stop the operation by clicking Cancel.

Clicking the Cancel button when the restore is in progress can result in serious, unexpected consequences that can prevent the system from starting and require that you reinstall the system.

Authoritative Restore Selections

Use this page to mark individual Active Directory® (AD) objects, a subtree, or the entire AD database as authoritatively restored. To mark AD objects, subtree, or the entire AD database as authoritative, RMAD uses the capabilities provided by the Ntdsutil.exe tool supplied with Microsoft Windows®. However, this tool included in Windows Server® 2008 or higher does not support marking the entire AD database as authoritative.

• Mark no objects as authoritatively restored. Marks no restored objects as authoritative.

• Mark the entire directory as authoritatively restored. Marks the entire Active Directory database (both the domain and configuration naming contexts held by the domain controller) as authoritative. The schema cannot be authoritatively restored.

• Mark a subtree or individual object as authoritatively restored. Marks an individual object or a container along with all the objects it contains (a subtree) as authoritative. The object or container is defined by specifying its distinguished name in the Distinguished name box.

An authoritative restore is an advanced operation that affects the entire domain. Try to avoid using authoritative restore unless you realize all of its implications. With the Repair Wizard, the authoritative restore of the SYSVOL does not occur automatically after an authoritative restore of Active Directory®, additional steps are required. For more information, see Restoring SYSVOL authoritatively.