DC in hyper-v backup question

[edutech4schools]

Hi,

(small primary / 2008r2)

 

My main DC is installed on a standalone server (not virtual). I am currently setting up a second DC in 2008r2 hyper-v.

 

I understand that it is not a good idea to snapshot a DC but what about using the export feature to export the entire VM to another location? I use the export on other VMs to back them up and would be interested if this is ok for a DC.

[glennda]

Yes it should be as long as you keep your DC and exchange in sync in terms of backups. I would however setup something like Veeam which will automate the backup and dump the snapshots to a share.

[sonofsanta]

The problem is timestamping - Active Directory is incredibly time sensitive and bringing back a DC that is out of date (by minutes, let alone days) will do no end of damage to your AD as clashes between settings confuse the domain.

 

Just backup system state as you did before and then you can do (non-)authoritative restores from that as normal.

 

You could shut down a virtual DC and move it to another host before bringing it back up, but not backup DC, keep running it (with changes being made constantly), then revert back to older copy.

[FN-GM]

I understand that it is not a good idea to snapshot a DC but what about using the export feature to export the entire VM to another location? I use the export on other VMs to back them up and would be interested if this is ok for a DC.

 

You can but the time span it will be good for is short.

 

In server 2012 you can snapshot a DC though.

[edutech4schools]

Thanks for the info.

[Duke5A]

I would setup another DC (if you have the licensing) offsite or on the other side of the building somewhere. Just promote it and make it a GC with no other services on it. Real time backup without having to worry about timestamps on backup sets.

[edutech4schools]

I would setup another DC (if you have the licensing) offsite or on the other side of the building somewhere. Just promote it and make it a GC with no other services on it. Real time backup without having to worry about timestamps on backup sets.

 

That is precisely my intention, just wanted a quick way to bring this 'backup server' back online if it should die.

[Duke5A]

That is precisely my intention, just wanted a quick way to bring this 'backup server' back online if it should die.

 

Then I would get it loaded with drivers and everything and take the backup right before joining it to the domain. This way if it does go completely down you only have to restore, join, and promote and a new DC. The prospect of having to do a bare metal restore of a DC always scared me a little. Of course you would have to contend with removing the old DC from AD if this were to happen.