Backup Active Directory

Active Directory is critical for authentication, authorization, and user management. Ensure its integrity by performing these steps:

Option 1 : System State Backup

The System State includes Active Directory, the registry, COM+ class registration database, boot files, and the SYSVOL folder (group policies, login scripts, etc.). It’s essential for restoring Active Directory.

• Use Windows Server Backup:
  1. Install Windows Server Backup if it’s not already installed (Install-WindowsFeature -Name Windows-Server-Backup).Open Windows Server Backup and select “Backup Schedule” or “Backup Once.”Choose “Custom” and select System State for backup.Save the backup to a safe location (e.g., external drive, network share).
  Alternatively, you can use PowerShell:powershellCopy code
  
  wbadmin start systemstatebackup -backuptarget:<path>

Option 1 : Backup the NTDS.DIT File

This is the Active Directory database. In case the System State backup doesn’t work, manually back up the NTDS directory:

1. Stop the Active Directory Domain Services:powershellCopy codenet stop ntds
2. Copy the NTDS and SYSVOL directories to a safe location:
   • C:\Windows\NTDS
   • C:\Windows\SYSVOL
3. Restart the AD DS service:powershellCopy code
   
   net start ntds