Complete Steps to Restore Active Directory (ADLDS)

Active Directory is directory service used by Microsoft for Windows Server known as Exchange Server. The Active Directory basically authenticates and authorizes various users over network. It also engages in updating software and tools available in the system at regular interval of time. It acts as a primary entity or platform for many application of MS Exchange with .dit database. It is basically a union of all non-store related information which is mainly a configuration data with the Servers. Whenever user tries to create a new group or user then he has to communicate with Active Directory. In-order to complete the process user requires membership in Administrators Group or Equivalent group. ADLDS is a light weight Directory Access Protocol which is basically a directory service. It provides crucial support for the directory enabled applications without depending upon Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS). However the ADLDS’s mechanism is somewhat similar to ADDS but it does not controls domain.

Follow below mentioned steps for restoring (ADLDS) Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services, which available in a configuration set:

• If Active Directory is running then halt ADLDS for which data will be restored. After this open Backup.
• Move to Action menu and then click on recover.
• Specify the desired location of the source  backup data and for specifying backup files from where we expect to recover instance data.
• After this come to “Select recovery type” and then click on Files and Folders, then proceed by clicking on Next.
• In the Select items to recover option, browse and select the folder which contains the required instance of data files.
• However it can be observed that by default the ADLDS database and log files are located in % ProgramFiles%\MicrosoftADAM\instancename, where instancename is the ADLDS instance name.
• Then go to “Specify recovery options” and then click on “Original locations” and then overwrite existing files with recovered files, finally click on Next.
• In-order to finalize the restore process click on Finish button. Once the restore is complete then close Backup and open Command prompt.
• Type “dsdbutil” in command prompt and press enter.
• Then type active instance at the dedbutil prompt and press enter.
• It will show instancename, the instancename represents the service name of the ADLDS instance.

Again in dsdbutil prompt type command “authoritative restore” and press enter.

Now at the authoritative restore type one of the following commands.

• restore database:-Performs authoritative restore of the entire directory database.
• restore objectdn:-Performs authoritative restore of the directory object whose distinguished name is represented by dn.
• restore subtreedn:-Performs authoritative restore of the directory subtree whose distinguished name is represented by dn.

The user can follow a different procedure which is mentioned below:

• Open Backup, then open “Start menu” and click on “Administrative Tools”, and then click on Backup.
• Open command prompt from “Start menu” and then click on “Run as administrator”.
• User can make use of the “Services snap-in” to halt an ADLDS instance.
• The abovementioned process can be used if user wants the data being restored authoritatively overriding existing data in the configuration set.

It can be clearly understood that ADLDS is very crucial instance. Many times user accidentally starts a restore operation on currently working ADLDS instance. In that condition user can restart the system and halt the current running ADLDS and resume the restoration. However it has been observed that many users fails to fix the issue by the mentioned steps, in that case they go for Stellar Phoenix Exchange Recovery tool. The tool has been proved very effective in terms of Active Directory recovery. The free demo version of the tool is available on the respective website.