Re: imaging Domain Controllers in a multi-Domain Controller environment

Hi
Check answers inline:
1) why this is a bad idea (in terms of recovery)?
This is an unsupported way of doing backups
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875495

2) what is a better idea (in terms of recovery)?
Better idea is to have regular backups as possible with backup solutions that are AD aware, the backup time shouldn't exceed the default tombstone life time of the forest and at minimum you need the system state backup for AD recovery.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216993

Furthermore, let's assume that at least one of the domain controllers is also the Exchange 2003/Exchange 2007 server.
Avoid that if can, trust me when it comes the time to recover a DC with exchange on it you may be very sorry for that decision.

Furthermore, let's assume that there are often multiple sites (in Active Directory Sites and Services) in the environment..
What is the question here? You would recover it as you would in any other DC, note that you can't use a system state backup from on DC to recover another different one, if you do that you will end up with two equal DCs and probably a broken forest.

Furthermore, let's assume that at least one of the DCs is a File Server.
Same thing, of course if the DC is also a file server, the system state backup won0t bring back the files, in this case you should also backup the Files used in your network.

Please, oh, please .... someone mention USN in the long list of reasons why this is a bad idea. But, forget that you just read this. I would not want to accused of bribery! ;-) And, forget that I mentioned "long list of reasons why this is a bad idea". I would not want to be leading anyone...
The USN rollback is an important issue to consider, and you can't run away from that.

Now, what to do if imaging is *THE* single solution proved by management?
Not sure what you're looking for, Imaging, disk rollback are unsupported ways of doing backups, if you do that is likely that you end up with USN rollback, and the DCs will stop replicating because other DCs in the domain will know more about that restored DC than the DC itself.
--
I hope that the information above helps you.
Have a Nice day.

Jorge Silva
MCSE, MVP Directory Services

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