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 I always like to have my own Microsoft-specified and supported backup in my back pocket for when the complete disaster arrives - 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 and all of Active Directory). 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 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.
George Perkins
