Module 9: Implementing an Active Directory®
Domain Services Maintenance Plan
Module Overview
• Maintaining the AD DS Domain Controllers
• Backing Up Active Directory Domain Services
• Restoring AD DS
Lesson 1: Maintaining the AD DS Domain Controllers
• AD DS Database and Log Files
• How the AD DS Database Is Modified
• Managing the Active Directory Database Using NTDSUtil Tool
• What Is an AD DS Database Defragmentation?
• What Are Restartable Active Directory Domain Services?
• Demonstration: Performing AD DS Database Maintenance Tasks
• Locking Down Services on AD DS Domain Controllers
AD DS Database and Log Files
Description
Ntds.dit
Edb*.log
Edb.chk
File
• Is the AD DS database file• Stores all AD DS objects on the domain
controller • Uses the default location systemroot\NTDS folder
• Is a transaction log file• Uses the default transaction log file
Edb.log
• Is a checkpoint file• Tracks data not yet written to the AD DS
database file
ebdres00001.jrs ebdres00002.jrs
• Are the reserved transaction log files
How the AD DS Database Is Modified
Write RequestWrite Request
Transaction is initiated
Write to the transaction
buffer
Write to the database on disk
Ntds.dit on DiskNtds.dit on Disk
EDB.logEDB.log
Write to the transaction
log file
Commit the transaction
Update the checkpoint
Edb.chkEdb.chk
Use Ntdsutil.exe to:
Managing the Active Directory Database Using NTDSUtil Tool
Ntdsutil.exe is a command-line tool used to manage some AD DS components
Perform AD DS database maintenance
Manage and control single master operations
Move the AD DS database files
Remove metadata left behind by domain controllers that were removed from the network without being properly uninstalled
Type HELP at any NTDSUtil prompt for context-sensitive help
What Is an AD DS Database Defragmentation?
The new file may be considerably smaller, depending on how fragmented the original database file was
AD DS performs online database defragmentation automatically every 12 hours
Use the NTDSUtil command-line tool to perform offline defragmentation on a dismounted database
Online defragmentation optimizes data storage in the database, and reclaims space in the directory for new objects, but does not reduce the size of the database file
Offline defragmentation creates a new, compacted version of the database file
What Are Restartable Active Directory Domain Services?
Restartable AD DS allows administrators to stop the AD DS without stopping any other services
Use restartable AD DS services when:
• Applying updates that modify AD DS service files on a domain controller
• Performing tasks such as offline defragmentation of the AD DS database
Directory Services Restore Mode must be used to restore AD DS database
Demonstration: Performing AD DS Database Maintenance Tasks
In this demonstration, you will see how to:
• Start and stop AD DS Services
• Move the AD DS Database to a different drive using NTDSUtil
• Use NTDSUtil and AD DS Stopped mode for Offline Defrag
Best practices:
Locking Down Services on AD DS Domain Controllers
Services required for AD DS to function correctly:
• Distributed File System
• DNS Server
• File Replication Service
• Kerberos Key Distribution Center
• Intersite Messaging
• Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator
Minimize the number of server roles and applications installed on domain controllers
Use the Security Configuration Wizard to lock down the services on a domain controller
• Active Directory Domain Services
• DNS Client
• Net Logon
• TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
• Windows Time
• Workstation
Lesson 2: Backing Up Active Directory Domain Services
• Introduction to Backing Up AD DS
• Windows Server Backup Features
• Demonstration: Backing Up AD DS
Introduction to Backing Up AD DS
To back up AD DS, you must back up all critical volumes
Critical volumes include:
• The system volume: the volume that hosts the boot files
• The boot volume: the volume that hosts the Windows operating system and the Registry
• The volume that hosts the SYSVOL tree
• The volume that hosts the AD DS database (Ntds.dit)
• The volume that hosts the AD DS database log files
All of these files may be stored in a single volume or distributed across multiple volumes
With Windows Server Backup, you can:
Windows Server Backup Features
Windows Server Backup is a Windows Server 2008 feature used to back up and recover the operating system and data
Recover the server without using third-party backup and recovery tools
Perform manual or automatic backups
Back up an entire server or selected volumes
Recover items or entire volumes
Use DVDs or CDs as backup mediaWindows Server Backup does not support backing up individual files or directories, only entire volumes
Demonstration: Backing Up AD DS
In this demonstration, you will see how to back up AD DS
Lesson 3: Restoring AD DS
• Overview of Restoring AD DS
• What Is a Nonauthoritative AD DS Restore?
• What Is an Authoritative AD DS Restore?
• What Is the Database Mounting Tool?
• Demonstration: Using the Database Mounting Tool
• Reanimating Tombstoned AD DS Objects
Overview of Restoring AD DS
Options for restoring AD DS include:
• Normal Restore
• Authoritative Restore
• Full Server Restore
• Alternate Location Restore
What Is a Nonauthoritative AD DS Restore?
A nonauthoritative or normal AD DS restore returns the directory service to its state at the time that the backup was created
AD DS replication updates the domain controller with changes that have occurred since the backup was created
Restart the domain controller in Directory Services Restore Mode to perform a non-authoritative restore
Steps to restart the server:
Press F8 when restarting the server, and choose Directory Services Restore Mode, or type the command bcdedit /set safeboot dsrepair and restart the server
11
Provide the Directory Services Restore Mode password22
What Is an Authoritative AD DS Restore?
Authoritative restore is a four-step process:
Start the domain controller in DSRM 11
Use Ntdsutil.exe to mark desired objects, containers, or partitions, as authoritative 33
Restart the domain in normal mode to replicate the changes 44
Restore the desired backup, which is typically the most recent backup
22
Authoritative restore is a method to recover objects and containers that have been deleted from AD DS
To mark an object as authoritative, use a command like:restore subtree “OU=Marketing,DC=EMEA,DC=WoodgroveBank,DC=com
What Is the Database Mounting Tool?
The Database Mounting Tool can be used to:
Create and view snapshots of data that is stored in AD DS
Improve recovery processes for your organizations by providing a means to compare data as it exists in snapshots that are taken at different times
Eliminate the need to restore multiple backups to compare the AD DS data that they contain
View, but not restore, deleted objects and containers
Demonstration: Using the Database Mounting Tool
In this demonstration, you will see how to use the Database Mounting Tool to view deleted AD DS objects
Reanimating Tombstoned AD DS Objects
You can reanimate deleted objects manually in AD DS when:
• You do not have current AD DS backups in a domain where user accounts or security groups were deleted
• The deleted object has not yet been scavenged from the AD DS database
• The deletion occurred in domains that contain only Windows Server 2003 or later domain controllers
To reanimate tombstoned AD DS objects:
• Use LDP.exe to locate the deleted object
• Modify the object’s isDeleted attribute, and provide a distinguished name
Enable the object, and then reconfigure the object attributes
Lab: Implementing an AD DS Maintenance Plan
• Exercise 1: Maintaining AD DS Domain Controllers
• Exercise 2: Backing Up AD DS
• Exercise 3: Performing an Authoritative Restore of the AD DS Database
• Exercise 4: Restoring Data Using the AD DS Data Mining Tool (optional)
Logon information
Virtual machine 6425A-NYC-DC1, 6425A-NYC-DC2
User name Administrator
Password Pa$$w0rd
Estimated time: 75 minutes
Lab Review
• How could you apply the security policy you created in Exercise 1 to multiple domain controllers? What concerns would you have with doing this?
• Why is a non-authoritative AD DS restore overwritten by replication? How does an authoritative restore prevent this from happening?
• What is the difference between restoring an AD DS object by undeleting it, and just recreating the object?
Module Review and Takeaways
• Review questions
• Considerations
• Tools