Can you copy and paste the Active Directory Database from one DC to another to recover it?

Warning!!! Do not do this.

This is an interesting question from class. To set this up I added a second Domain Controller into virtual network. I then stopped the AD DS server on the new DC and deleted the contents of c:\Windows\NTDS.
The next step was to copy the contents of the database folder from the good DC to the target DC. To do this, I also had to stop the NDTS service on the source DC.

Once the copy was completed, I restarted the AD DS service on the source DC. I then attempted to restart the AD DS service of the target DC. It did not like it very well. As a matter of fact, while attempting to restart the AD DS service, the DC went into reboot. As a matter of fact, the system was not able to boot after that.
This is a good example of why we test these ideas on virtual machines with snapshots, and not actual production servers.

Comments

How to list all the AD LDS instances on a server

AD LDS allows you to provide directory services to applications that are free of the confines of Active Directory. To list all the AD LDS instances on a server, follow this procedure: Log into the server in question Open a command prompt. Type dsdbutil and press Enter Type List Instances and press Enter . You will receive a list of the instance name, both the LDAP and SSL port numbers, the location of the database, and its status.

How to run GPResult on a remote client with PowerShell

In the past, to run the GPResult command, you would need to either physically visit this client, have the user do it, or use and RDP connection. In all cases, this will disrupt the user. First, you need PowerShell remoting enabled on the target machine. You can do this via Group Policy . Open PowerShell and type this command. Invoke-Command –ScriptBlock {GPResult /r} –ComputerName <ComputerName> Replace <ComputerName> with the name of the target. Remember, the target needs to be online and accessible to you.

Error icon when creating a GPO Preference drive map

You may not have an error at all. Take a look at the drive mapping below. The red triangle is what threw us off. It is not an error. It is simply a color representation of the Replace option of the Action field in the properties of the drive mappings. Create action This give you a green triangle. The Create action creates a new mapped drive for users. Replace Action The Replace action gives you a red triangle. This action will delete and recreate mapped drives for users. The net result of the Replace action is to overwrite all existing settings associated with the mapped drive. If the drive mapping does not exist, then the Replace action creates a new drive mapping. Update Action The Update action will have a yellow triangle. Update will modify settings of an existing mapped drive for users. This action differs from Replace in that it only updates settings defined within the preference item. All other settings remain as configured on the ma...

Jason Yoder, MCT

Search This Blog