Backing Up Active Directory

By Author: crystal clinton
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This lesson guides you through the steps required to back up MCSA 2003 exams Active Directory data. When you create a backup, you need to conduct several preliminary tasks, and then perform a number of tasks using the Backup Or Restore Wizard. In this lesson you will learn how to back up Active Directory data, how to schedule and run an unattended backup, and how to delete an unattended backup.
Preliminary Backup Tasks
An important part of backing up Active Directory data is performing the preliminary tasks. You must prepare the files that you want to back up, and, if you are using a removable media device, you must prepare the device. If you use a removable media device, you must ensure that:
The backup device is attached to a computer on the network and is turned on. If you are backing up to tape, you must attach the tape device to the computer on which you run Windows Backup.
The media device is listed on the Windows Server 2003 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).
The medium is loaded in the media device. For example, if you are using a tape drive, ensure ...
... that a tape is loaded in the tape drive.
You must be a member of the Administrators or the Backup Operators groups to perform a backup.
Display the security descriptor for any object stored in Active Directory. This tool enables an administrator to determine if ACLs are being inherited correctly and if ACL changes are being replicated from one domain controller to another.
Perform searches against an LDAP server to get information from Active Directory.
Read, modify, and delete the Service Principal Names (SPN) directory property for an MCSA required exams Active Directory service account.
Manage access control policies on Windows Server 2003 and Windows NT systems. SIDwalker consists of three separate
programs: Showaccs.exe1 and Sidwalk.exe1 for examining and changing access control entries, and Security Migration Editor for editing mapping between old and new security identifiers (SIDs).
See Windows Support Tools help for more information about using the Windows Sup?port Tools that pertain to Active Directory.
Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) provides a simple, powerful, object-oriented interface to Active Directory. ADSI makes it easy for programmers and administrators to create programs utilizing directory services by using high-level tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Java, C, O or Visual C++ as well as scripted languages such as VBScript, JScript, or PerlScript without having to worry about the underlying differences between the different namespaces. ADSI is a fully programmable Automation object for use by administrators.
ADSI enables you to build or buy programs that give you a single Free A+ practice exams point of access to multiple directories in your network environment, whether those directories are based on LDAP or another protocol.