Back up and Restore Active Directory Objects with BUS

Background

The basic idea is you use a script to export the Active Directory Users and Groups objects to a file, then back up that data file with BUS. On restore, you recover the export file, then use import it to Active Directory.

Active Directory Export

1. Install the BUS client on the Active Directory server.
2. Download the ADuserbackup.zip file from ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/bus/ADuserbackup.zip
3. Extract and place the files within the ${BUS-Install-Home}\bin directory.
4. Create an export directory, for example C:\BackupDir

5. Open the BUS client, ceate a file backup set for the AD objects backup.
6. Select the export directory C:\BackupDir as Backup Source.
7. Accept the default encryption settings if no change is necessary.
8. Select the newly created backup set in the "Backup Settings" menu, select "Command Line Tool"
9. Press "Add" under the Pre-Backup section on the right panel, then enter the following entries in the corresponding text fields:
• Working Directory: C:\Program Files\AhsayOBM\bin
• Command: RunADExport.bat fout:C:\BackupDir\fExport.ldf
10. Press "OK" to save this setting.

Active Directory Import

1. Open the BUS client software, select "Restore".
2. Select the AD Export backup set from the backup set list, "Next", and then browse to the export file.

3. Select the checkbox next to the fExport.ldf node and press "Start Restore"

4. Import all or individual objects from the export file:
   • Option 1 - To import all Users and Groups from the export file:
     • In command prompt, navigate to the directory that RunADImport.bat resides in.
     • Enter the command: RunADImport.bat fin:${Input_Location}\fExport.ldf
   • Option 2 - To import individual User or Group from the export file:
     • In command prompt, navigate to the directory that RunADImportUser.bat resides in.
     • Enter the command: RunADImportUser.bat fin:${Input_Location}\fExport.ldf
   
   • Press 's' to list the user index ID.
   
   • Press 'i' to import user by index ID.
   
   • Press 'n' to import user by username.
   

   NOTE: use double quotation marks for usernames with spaces.

   • If the name of the group or user cannot be typed in the command prompt or cannot be displayed from the user index:
     • Create a text file (e.g. name.txt) with a single line of content 'user:${username}'.
     • Press 'f' to import user from file.