Systems and methods for performing recovery of directory data
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are disclosed for recovering data following a directory service malfunction, such as a forest-wide disaster in Microsoft® Active Directory. In certain examples, a single management console can be used for remotely recovering selected domain controllers in the forest without necessitating direct operator intervention. Multiple domain controllers can be concurrently restored from one or more backup files. Configurations of the system can advantageously eliminate manual intervention with each domain controller, thereby saving significant amounts of recovery time and effort. Also, certain systems and methods can be used to automatically and remotely quarantine corrupt domain controllers so that those individual domain controllers do not replicate with the newly restored environment, while allowing the domain controllers to remain online and in communication with the attached network. Certain disclosed methods further modify recovery procedures based at least in part on the type, and availability of, one or more DNS servers.
1. A computer-executable method for performing disaster recovery of directory data, the method comprising:
identifying a plurality of domain controllers associated with multiple domains in a domain forest and communicatively coupled together through a network, each of the plurality of domain controllers storing a copy of a directory database, and each of the plurality of domain controllers having one or more replication partners;
receiving a selection of at least one of the plurality of domain controllers to be recovered;
executing in one or more computer processors on a remotely located console a restore process that creates a restored directory database for the selected domain controller from a backup copy of the directory database;
while the selected domain controller remains online, automatically remotely disabling replication of the restored directory database on the selected domain controller with the remotely located console without disconnecting the selected domain controller from the network, wherein remotely disabling replication places the selected domain controller into a directory services restore mode that disables operation of the restored directory database, and wherein the remotely disabling replication further sets attributes associated with the directory services restore mode to prevent replication;
after restoration of the restored directory database, placing the selected domain controller into normal mode; and
re-enabling replication to the restored directory database on the selected domain controller to the replication partners.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said remotely disabling replication comprises modifying an options attribute of a NTDS Settings object associated with the restored directory database on the selected domain controller.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said modifying comprises accessing an extensible storage engine (ESE) application programming interface (API).
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said remotely disabling replication comprises at least one of: configuring a firewall of the selected domain controller, temporarily disabling a network adapter of the selected domain controller, and modifying an internet protocol security (IPsec) of the selected domain controller.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said remotely disabling comprises:
receiving user input identifying the selected domain controller through a management console remotely located to the selected domain controller; and
transmitting one or more controls signals to a recovery agent executing on the selected domain controller to electronically disable replication.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said restoring the backup copy and recovering the selected domain controller is performed concurrently.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first domain controller is in a first domain and additionally comprising recovering a second domain controller in a second domain by restoring a backup copy of a second directory database.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first domain and the second domain are part of an Active Directory forest.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the remaining domain controllers comprises a DNS server associated with the selected domain controller.
10. The method of claim 9 , additionally comprising, following said remotely disabling replication and prior to said re-enabling replication, determining if the DNS server associated with the selected domain controller has been restored.
11. The method of claim 10 , additionally comprising preventing said re-enabling replication to the selected domain controller until the DNS server has been restored.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving the selection of at least one of the plurality of domain controllers to be recovered comprises receiving an instruction to recover multiple ones of the plurality of domain controllers.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reconciling the restored directory database.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reconciling the restored directory database with one or more of the plurality of domain controllers.
15. A system for recovering data following a directory service malfunction, the system comprising:
a processor;
a plurality of recovery agent modules, each recovery agent module being installed on a respective domain controller of a plurality of domain controllers communicatively coupled through multiple domains in a domain forest, each of the plurality of domain controllers having one or more replication partners;
a remotely located recovery manager module executing in one or more computer processors installed on an application server and in communication with each of the plurality of recovery agent modules, the remotely located recovery manager module being located remotely with respect to at least one of the plurality of domain controllers; and
a management console executing on a computing device in communication with the remotely located recovery manager module, wherein the management console is configured to receive a selection of at least one of the plurality of domain controllers to be recovered,
wherein the remotely located recovery manager module is configured to automatically issue one or more control signals to the recovery agent module of the selected domain controller to:
while the selected domain controller remains online, restore a backup copy of a directory database to the selected domain controller, and
while the selected domain controller remains online, remotely disable replication to the restored directory database on the selected domain controller without removing the selected domain controller from communication with the network wherein the control signals to remotely disable replication places the selected domain controller into a directory services restore mode that disables operation of the restored directory database, and wherein the remotely disabling replication further sets attributes associated with the directory services restore mode to prevent replication;
after restoration of the restored directory database, placing the selected domain controller into normal mode; and
re-enable replication of the restored directory database on the selected domain controller to the replication partners.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the recovery agent module of the selected domain controller is configured to, in response to receiving the one or more control signals, set the options attribute of a NTDS Settings object associated with the restored directory database on the selected domain controller.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the remotely located recovery manager is further configured to issue one or more second control signals to the recovery agent of a second domain controller of the plurality of domain controllers to restore a second backup copy of the directory database to the second domain controller substantially concurrently with the restoration of the backup copy of the directory database to the selected domain controller.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the management console comprises a user interface.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the management console is installed on the application server.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system is further configured to reconcile the restored directory database.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system is further configured to reconcile the restored directory database with one or more of the plurality of domain controllers.
22. A system for performing disaster recovery of directory data, the system comprising:
means for identifying a plurality of domain controllers associated with multiple domains in a domain forest and communicatively coupled through a network, each of the plurality of domain controllers storing a copy of a directory database, and each of the plurality of domain controllers having one or more replication partners;
means for receiving a selection of at least one of the plurality of domain controllers to be recovered;
means for executing, in one or more computer processors on a remotely located console, a restore process that creates a restored directory database for the selected domain controller from a backup copy of the directory database;
while the selected domain controller remains online, means for automatically remotely disabling replication of the restored directory database on the selected computing device without disconnecting the selected domain controller from the network, wherein the means for automatically remotely disabling replication places the selected domain controller into a directory services restore mode that disables operation of the restored directory database, and wherein the means for automatically remotely disabling replication further sets attributes associated with the directory services restore mode to prevent replication;
after restoration of the restored directory database, means for placing the selected domain controller into normal mode;
means for re-enabling replication to the restored directory database on the selected domain controller.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein said means for automatically remotely disabling is configured to modify an options attribute of a NTDS Settings object associated with the restored directory database on the selected domain controller.
24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the system is further configured to reconcile the restored directory database.
25. The system of claim 22 , wherein the system is further configured to reconcile the restored directory database with one or more of the plurality of domain controllers.