Disaster Recovery of a DC

Here is the updated version.

Disaster Recovery of a remote Windows 2000 Server (includes non-authoritative restore of Active Directory for a domain controller) with Veritas backup Exec 9.0 Build 4454.

Disaster recovery can be performed on a remote computer attached to the media server. This procedure will restore the remote computer's operating system to its pre-disaster state and will restore all data files, except those protected by one of the Backup Exec agents.

The following items are needed:

·     A current full backup of the computer to be recovered and any subsequent incremental/differential backups

·     The Windows 2000 installation media

Note:  Always log on to Windows 2000 using the administrator account or its equivalent during this procedure.

To recover a remote Windows 2000 computer:

At the remote computer:

1.  Install Windows 2000.

Ø      This basic Windows 2000 installation is necessary to provide Backup Exec with a target to which it can restore the system. The computer name, Windows 2000 directory and the file system (NTFS) must be the same as the previous Windows 2000 installation. This basic installation will later be overwritten by the backed up version, which will restore the system configuration, application settings, and security settings.

Ø      If the machine is being recovered from hard disk failure, use Windows 2000 setup to partition and format the new disk during installation. Format the partitions with the same file system as before the failure.

o       Do not join a domain; leave the computer in a work group.

o       Do not install Active Directory.

o       Your Partitions and Raid array have to be the same as before.  Remember to have your drive letters assigned to the proper partitions. 

At the media server:

2.  Install the Backup Exec Remote Agent to the remote computer

3.  Start Backup Exec for Windows NT/2000.

4.  From the Backup Selections tab, locate the remote computer that is being restored and its administrative shares.

Double-click an administrative share and enter the user credentials.

Example: <Computer Name>\Administrator

This allows the system to authenticate the credentials, and creates a connection between the local and remote computers.

5. From the Devices tab, inventory the media containing the latest full backup of the computer to be recovered.

6. Catalog the media containing the latest full backup of the computer to be recovered. If the subsequent differential/incremental backups are on separate media, catalog those also.

7.  From the Restore Selections tab, select all sets from the full and incremental backups that contain logical drives on the hard disk. If differential backup sets are to be restored, select only the last differential set. Make sure to include System State as part of the restore selections.

8.  Click Restore on the toolbar.

9.  From the General tab, select the following options:

·                     Restore security

·                     Preserve tree

10. From the Advanced tab, select "Restore over existing files".

11. Click Run Now to start the restore, unless the following condition exists:

If the computer being restored is the only domain controller in the domain or if the entire domain is being rebuilt and this is the first domain controller, then perform the following steps:

• From the Advanced tab, select "When restoring SYSVOL in System State, mark this domain controller as the primary arbitrator for replication".
• Click Run Now to start the restore.
• Reboot the remote computer.

The computer's operating system is now restored to its pre-disaster state. All data files have been restored, except those protected by Backup Exec database agents.