Our architect specified servers for new AD forest and domain. ADDS is to be installed to D:\Windows\NTDS (not the default C:\Windows\NTDS). These are VMs and a cloud provider will be backing up the VMs by snapshot. I suspect the backups of the VMs will be trustworthy (but "suspect" is not good enough in my estimation), so I always like to have my own Microsoft-specified and Microsoft-supported backup in my back pocket for when the complete disaster arrives - so I'm still covered, even if the cloud provider fails.
In the past I've used the usual Windows Server Backup, ran a scripted backup that performs a System State Backup of C: (which would have contained C:\Windows\NTDS, the registry, and all of Active Directory's components on the DC). But now I have to also back up D:\Windows\NTDS and System State Backup will not be backing up D:.
What is the recommendation?
Here is the essential working section from the scripted backup:
WBADMIN Delete SystemStateBackup -KeepVersions:1 -Quiet >> %MyLogFile%WBADMIN Start Backup -BackupTarget:E: -SystemState -Quiet >> %MyLogFile%
Notice that my script cleans up the destination backup volume E: to minimize the size of the backup and to ensure there is free space prior to starting the backup. WBADMIN does not have an equivalent "Delete" option for non-SystemStateBackup backups. The E; volume is then picked up as a file system backup and archived, so I always have multiple generations of backup history.
So what does Microsoft's Active Directory team recommend for a good solid backup of the DC?
P.S. I had already asked this question in the Windows Server > Backup– Windows and Windows Server forum, but that moderator recommended I ask here.
George Perkins