imaging a domain controller

Hi,

In a domain with more than one DC, I am needing to know if any image program for server 2003 (like Acronis True Image Server) can take an image of a domain controller, and then allow you to restore it back to the domain later without getting the AD's out of synch? It would need to be some sort of
non-authoritative restore, or something similar, and I know MS provides some
API's, but I can't find anything on Acronis' site about this. The API's make
a program "AD aware".

Does anyone have any real world experience doing this?

Thanks!

--Randy Starkey

 

OK. Let me try again here. I am trying Acronis Trueimage Server Windows. It makes an image fine of my Server 2003 DC's. But, if I restore this full image backup, is it AD aware like NTBackup? Will it tell the other DC's in my domain to replicate to it all that it missed since it's last backup? These are UNS numbers that must be kept in synch. So - basically is TI server able to do this like NTbackup? Or, must I restore an image AND a system state.

Any IT admins out there that know what I'm talking about? I can tell you if you do this with a ghost image say created at a DOS level, your AD's will not synch, and you will have major replication inconsistencies.

So - maybe Acronis can help on this - certainly you must have considered this? A TI image in a multiple DC network is either good to go as is, or not. I need to know!

Thanks!

Randy Starkey
IT in STL

 

Hello rwstarkey,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Server Disk Backup Software.

We are sorry for the delayed response.

Though Acronis True Image Server for Windows does not have a feature of automatic synchronizing Domen Controllers, you may find useful this previous post detailing several solutions for that problem, as well as a procedure of backing up a Domain Controller with necessary precautions.

Thank you.
--
Marat Setdikov

 

OK. I'll check it out. Thanks.