How To Backup Active Directory on Windows Server 2008

In order to setup and configure backups for Active Directory on Windows Server 2008 a feature called windows server backup must be installed. NTBackup no longer exists in the new edition of server 08.

There are two sub features in Windows Server Backup, they are called Windows Server Backup and then you have the Command-line Tools. The command line tools are a set of cmdlets supplied from Powershell. Therefore you must install Powershell. After installing Windows Server Backup, navigate to the Administrative Tools Menu to launch the program or launch Server Manager and navigate to the Storage Node. In order to install Windows Server backup on a server running Server Core launch the following command from a command line C:\> ocsetup WindowsServerBackup .

Now that we have everything we need to perform a backup lets get started:

Method One

• Click Start then click Server Manager and then click Add Features and then select Windows Server Backup

Method Two

• Run the following command from a command line using Powershell C:\> servermanagercmd -install Backup-Features

To install Windows Server Backup on a Server Core installation run the following command from a command line.

• C:\> ocsetup WindowsServerBackup

Now that we have Windows Server Backup installed lets perform our first backup of Active Directory.

• Launch the windows server backup utility by clicking on Start then click Administrator Tools and then click Windows Server Backup
• Select the option Backup Once to perform an immediate backup as illustrated in the diagram below.

• Next, select Different Options and then click Next
• Next, select Full server and click Next
• In the next window select your storage preference and then click Next
• In the next window select your storage destination and then click Next
• In the Advanced options window select VSS copy backup and then select Next
• In the next window confirm the options you have selected and then click Backup

You have now backed up Active Directory successfully.

Backup Windows Server 2008 from the Command Line

If you want to script the backup process, or if you are backing up a server on a Server Core installation, you can use the WBADMIN.EXE command-line program. WBADMIN provides a complete set of options that perform essentially the same functions as the MMC snap-in, including managing backup schedules.

• C:\> wbadmin start backup –include:c:,d: –backuptarget:e:
• If you would prefer to backup up all critical system volumes, enter this command:
• C:\> wbadmin start backup -allcritical –backuptarget:e:
• After launching the backup, WBADMIN will continue to show the process running. If you terminate WBADMIN, the backup will continue silently in the background. You can then reconnect WBADMIN to a running backup using the following command:
• C:\> wbadmin get status
• If you would prefer to terminate a running backup, enter the following command:
• C:\> wbadmin stop job