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Recovery Manager for AD Forest Edition 10.2.1 - User Guide

Overview Getting started
Permissions required to use Recovery Manager for Active Directory Recovery Manager Console Getting and using help Configuring Windows Firewall Using Computer Collections Managing Recovery Manager for Active Directory configuration Licensing
Backing up data
Permissions required for the Backup operation Managing Backup Agent Using a least-privileged user account to back up data Using Managed Service Accounts Active Directory backups vs Windows System State backups Creating BMR and Active Directory backups Using the Backup Wizard Retrying backup creation Enabling backup encryption Backing up AD LDS (ADAM) Backing up cross-domain group membership Backing up distributed file system (DFS) data Backup scheduling Setting performance options Setting advanced backup options Using Forest Recovery Agent Unpacking backups Using e-mail notification Viewing backup creation results
Restoring data
Getting started with Active Directory recovery Managing deleted or recycled objects Restoring backed up Active Directory components Integration with Change Auditor for Active Directory Using granular online restore Restoring AD LDS (ADAM) Selectively restoring Active Directory object attributes Restoring objects in an application directory partition Restoring object quotas Restoring cross-domain group membership Performing a restore without having administrator privileges Reports about objects and operations Using complete offline restore Offline restore implications Restoring SYSVOL authoritatively Performing a granular restore of SYSVOL Recovering Group Policy Restoring data from third-party backups Using the Extract Wizard Restoring passwords and SID history
Full Replication Consolidating backup registration data Monitoring Recovery Manager for Active Directory Recovering an Active Directory forest
Forest recovery overview Deploying Recovery Manager for Active Directory Forest Edition (Disaster Recovery Edition) Permissions required to use Forest Recovery Console Forest Recovery Console Managing a recovery project Recovery methods Phased recovery Managing Forest Recovery Agent Rebooting domain controllers manually Resetting DSRM Administrator Password Purging Kerberos Tickets Managing the Global Catalog servers Managing FSMO roles Manage DNS Client Settings Configuring Windows Firewall Developing a custom forest recovery plan Backing up domain controllers Assigning a preferred DNS server during recovery Handling DNS servers during recovery Forest recovery approaches Deciding which backups to use Running custom scripts while recovering a forest Overview of steps to recover a forest Viewing forest recovery progress Viewing recovery plan Viewing a report about forest recovery or verify settings operation Handling failed domain controllers Adding a domain controller to a running recovery operation Selectively recovering domains in a forest Recovering SYSVOL Deleting domains during recovery Resuming an interrupted forest recovery Recovering read-only domain controllers (RODCs) Checking forest health Collecting diagnostic data for technical support
Using Management Shell Creating virtual test environments Using Recovery Manager for Active Directory web portal Appendices
Frequently asked questions Best practices for using Computer Collections Technical characteristics Best practices for creating backups Best practices for creating backups for forest recovery Best practices for recovering a forest Descriptions of recovery or verification steps Ports Used by Recovery Manager for Active Directory Forest Edition (Disaster Recovery Edition) Backup Wizard Online Restore Wizard Online Restore Wizard for AD LDS (ADAM) Group Policy Restore Wizard Repair Wizard Extract Wizard Events generated by Recovery Manager for Active Directory

What is a primary restore of the SYSVOL?

A primary restore is intended to recover the initial member of the SYSVOL replica set, only when the entire replica set has been lost. A primary restore should therefore not be used if there are two or more operational domain controllers in the domain. If there are other members in the replica set with which the restored SYSVOL can synchronize, a primary restore should not be performed, as it disrupts the replication of SYSVOL data.

For more information about primary restore, see the Microsoft article “Authoritative, Primary, and Normal Restores” at https://technet.microsoft.com.

 

How do I change the Backup Agent port number?

RMAD uses a TCP port to communicate with Backup Agent installed on the target domain controllers to be backed up. To change the Backup Agent port number, perform the following procedures.

On each target domain controller to be backed up, perform the following steps:

  1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe), and then locate the registry key:

    HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ErdAgent

  2. In the details pane, double-click the ImagePath value, and in the Value data text box, specify the port number in the following way:

    %SystemRoot%\RecoveryManagerAD\ErdAgent.exe -I -P:3899

    In this example, Backup Agent will use port 3899. When finished, click OK.

  3. Close Registry Editor.

  4. Restart the Backup Agent service.

Start the Recovery Manager for Active Directory Console (snap-in), and then perform the following steps:

  1. In the console tree, select the node RMAD, and then on the Action menu, click Settings.

  2. On the Ports tab, select the Connect to Backup Agent using a specific TCP port. check box, and then specify the port number in the Port text box.

  3. Click OK to close the Recovery Manager for Active Directory Properties dialog box.

Important

If you are using a firewall, the specified TCP port must be opened. You must specify the same port number for all target domain controllers to be backed up.

 

How does Recovery Manager for Active Directory select a DC for an authoritative (primary) restore of SYSVOL during forest recovery?

When recovering an Active Directory forest, Recovery Manager for Active Directory automatically selects a DC in each domain to perform an authoritative (primary) restore of the SYSVOL folder. To select such a DC, Recovery Manager for Active Directory uses a number of predefined criteria listed in this section. These criteria are listed in the order they are applied by Recovery Manager for Active Directory. If no DC meets the first criteria in the list, Recovery Manager for Active Directory tries to apply the next criteria. Recovery Manager for Active Directory keeps going through the list of criteria, from top to bottom, until it finds a suitable DC.

Criteria used to determine if a DC is suitable for an authoritative (primary) restore of the SYSVOL (in the order of priority):

  1. DC has the PDC Emulator role.

  2. DC has the Domain Naming Master role or Schema Master role in the forest.

  3. DC has the RID Master role in the domain.

  4. DC is a DNS server in the domain.

  5. DC resides in the largest Active Directory site (as compared to other DCs in the domain).

 

How does Recovery Manager for Active Directory isolate domain controllers during forest recovery?

The overall success of a domain or forest recovery operation very much depends on the domain controllers being restored from backups. Not only it is important to ensure these domain controllers are restored from recent and trusted backups, it is also necessary to temporarily isolate these domain controllers to guarantee that no dangerous or unwanted data will be replicated to them from their replication partners and to block requests to Active Directory from client workstations during the recovery. Recovery Manager for Active Directory isolates domain controllers by creating a service dependency and using custom Internet Protocol security (IPSec) rules.

Before isolating the domain controllers being restored from backups, Recovery Manager for Active Directory backs up the IPSec settings existing in your environment to revert to these settings later.

Then, at the recovery step named Enable domain controller isolation, Recovery Manager for Active Directory does the following:

  1. Establishes a dependency between the IPsec Policy Agent (PolicyAgent) service and the Active Directory Domain Services (NTDS) service. As a result, the Active Directory Domain Services service cannot start until the IPsec Policy Agent service starts.

  2. Activates a number of custom IPSec rules defined in the IsolateDC.bat file.

The IsolateDC.bat file is located in the Recovery Manager for Active Directory installation folder (by default, this is %ProgramFiles%\Quest\Recovery Manager for Active Directory). The IPSec rules defined in the IsolateDC.bat file block all IP traffic between the domain controllers and their replication partners, except for the IP traffic generated by the following tools/services:

  • Remote Desktop Connection client

  • Ping command

  • File sharing services

  • Domain Naming System

These IPSec rules also apply to the IP traffic from the domain controllers to the Forest Recovery Console computer. Traffic from the Forest Recovery Console computer to the domain controllers is not affected by these IPSec rules.

Note

You can edit the IsolateDC.bat file to define the IPSec rules that become active during recovery. However, we cannot guarantee that problems that may occur if you incorrectly edit the IsolateDC.bat file can be solved. Edit the IsolateDC.bat file at your own risk.

At the recovery step named Ensure that domain controller isolation is disabled, Recovery Manager for Active Directory removes the dependency between the Active Directory Domain Services service and the NTDS service and uses the UnisolateDC.bat file to revert to the pre-recovery IPSec settings.

The UnisolateDC.bat file is located in the Recovery Manager for Active Directory installation folder (by default, this is %ProgramFiles%\Quest\Recovery Manager for Active Directory).

 

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