CreateXMLFromEnvironment and vice versa?

[PiqueABoo]

Long shot I suspect, but has anyone used this GPMC script to back up some OU branch and all the GPOs applying to it? And more to the point has anyone subsequently used CreateEnvironmentFromXML with a migtable to import that backup into another domain? Does it just work?

 

Aim is to get test domain config on to a live domain. I've done this before the hard way (manually via the GPMC, with backups, GPO creation & importing via a migtable), but this looks like a lot less hassle.

[ChrisH]

Use VMware converter to copy a dc but make sure it never goes back on the same network. Then you should have a perfect copy. Sounds good but I dont know if it will work.

Alternatively create a virtual dc and let it sync then put it on its own VLAN and remove the DC from your live domain with NTDSUTIL.

[PiqueABoo]

That's an approach to a slightly different problem.. in this case I want to copy a lovingly created OU structure, including it's groups, linked GPOs and a few standard user accounts to a completely *new* domain with a different name etc.

 

Have been playing with the export to XML side of this and having skimmed through the resultant XML file it looks good. A few initial observations:

 

-It only handles basic GPO security-filtering e.g. it doesn't capture Deny. I worked around that on a couple GPOs that have filtering by taking Apply away from Authenticated Users, then giving Apply to all groups that need it. The original Deny approach was simpler, but..

 

-The importing I haven't touched yet will in principle create users, groups, group memberships, set user profile paths and home drives. But sadly the export doesn't capture a user account's profile path and home drive so you have to edit the XML to add those.

 

-The scripts are from the standard GPMC ones you get on 2003, but I'm doing this on server 2008 where they're not included by default, You have to download them from MS and one day I might figure out where the MSI installer puts them on the system! I gave up looking and extracted the scripts from the MSI with the (free) "qwerty.msi".

 

- Being a bit of a pessimist I wasn't 100% sure this would backup the GPO Preferences I've configured here and there, but they are definitely present in the GPO backup folders.

Edited December 7, 2008 by PiqueABoo