ACTIVE DIRECTORY USER GUIDE

Recover the right AD object.
Review changes before applying them.

Prepare the AD catalog point, object identity, attribute difference and scoped restore delegation; assess Recycle Bin and System State objectives separately.

7 stepsTR / ENGo to steps ↓

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Check before you begin

Attribute restore on an existing object, creating a new object from a catalog and recovering a deleted object through Recycle Bin have different identity outcomes. Creating a new object does not recover its old SID/GUID or password hash. This guide covers online object/attribute assessment, not full DC/forest or destructive System State apply.

Screenshots were captured from the actual lab interface on 16 October 2026. The interface is in English; explanations follow your selected language. Resource names, dates and settings are examples; use values for your own environment.

Validation limit: existing catalog items were viewed; no recovery point was found for Attributes or User Computer Object in the current date range. No object/attribute target preview was captured. No AD writes, object creation/deletion, permission changes or System State apply were performed. Historical lab acceptance does not apply automatically to every installed release.

  • Correct backup ID, domain, DC and catalog time
  • Matching target object GUID/SID, DN and OU
  • Restore privileges scoped to the selected operation/attribute
  • Dry-run/diff, change approval and final validation plan
01

1. Identify recovery type and identity

Distinguish attribute rollback on an existing object, deleted-object reanimation/Recycle Bin recovery and creation of a new object from a catalog. Record target GUID/SID, DN and OU. Protected accounts, group membership, passwords and SPNs are outside a simple description test.

Expected result

Identity-preservation expectations and operation type are explicit.

02

2. Select the AD record and recovery point

Find the correct AD test job in Home → Backups → Backup List. Use Action → Restore to inspect instance/item and Full/dependent points. Compare domain, item type and time. Last Backup or an object list in the catalog does not prove live target connectivity or successful recovery.

EraBackup Active Directory application screen
RESTORE → Step One: User Computer Object, DNS Object, GPO Object and Attributes catalog items. No point was found for the selected item in the current date range; no restore preview was opened through Next. Enlarge ↗
Expected result

The correct source item and point are identified.

03

3. Inspect one test object and attribute

Use search in User Computer Object or the release-specific Attribute Restore screen to find only the test object. Compare GUID and target DN; avoid Select All. Record current and backed-up values. DNS/GPO recovery requires separate acceptance from user/computer operations.

Expected result

The scope is one object and the selected attribute.

04

4. Validate dry-run and scoped permissions

In the matching granular restore release generate a dry-run/diff and inspect only the intended attribute change. Delegate permissions for the operation, such as WriteProperty on an existing object or class-specific CreateChild for a new one. Deleted Objects and Reanimate rights for Recycle Bin/tombstone require separate acceptance. A backup token does not imply AD write access; do not publish the confirmation token.

Expected result

The plan and permissions cover only the intended change.

05

5. Apply the approved change once

Compare source backup ID, object identity, attribute, old/new value and target with the summary. Do not treat a legacy bulk Restore screen without dry-run as a safe preview; use the matching validated operation workflow with the technical team. Apply the final restore only to the approved test object; account enablement and password reset are not automatic parts of this step.

Expected result

One traceable test change is created.

06

6. Compare object and operation results

Compare task/audit results with the target AD attribute value. For an existing-object attribute restore verify unchanged GUID/SID and no unexpected differences in a repeated dry-run. Group membership is assessed through member on the target group; do not assume direct writes to memberOf. A success notification alone does not establish acceptance.

Expected result

Target value, identity and audit record agree.

07

7. Keep System State and forest plans separate

Document object acceptance with backup ID, release, target and changed attributes; have the responsible administrator remove temporary test delegation. System State/authoritative/DSRM and forest recovery need an isolated/fenced environment, a separate recovery identity and a release-appropriate specialist procedure. An online object test does not establish full domain/forest recovery support.

Expected result

Object acceptance and broader recovery scope are recorded separately.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Is Recycle Bin recovery a restore from the backup archive?

No. Recycle Bin uses the directory’s deleted-object mechanism. It differs in data path and acceptance from archive-based attribute/object recovery and System State operations.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES

From installation to recovery.

01

Installation Guide

Install EraBackup Master: operating system readiness, package integrity, terminal installer, TLS, licensing, repository and service validation.

Open guide
02

First Backup

Use EraBackup Create Policy to select source, storage, clients, retention and schedule, then validate the first full backup and recovery point.

Open guide
03

Restore

Select a recovery point in EraBackup, use the RESTORE wizard, review target mappings and Summary, and validate data in an isolated target.

Open guide
04

VMware Backup

Prepare VMware backup step by step, from vCenter connectivity and test VM selection to HotAdd prerequisites and the full/CBT chain.

Open guide
05

VMware Restore

Plan VMware recovery point selection, target vSphere resources and datastore checks, then validate recovery in a new isolated VM.

Open guide
06

OpenShift Backup

Plan OpenShift Virtualization/KubeVirt VM backups with namespace, CSI, RBAC and repository prerequisites; assess database profiles separately.

Open guide
07

OpenShift Restore

Plan the OpenShift recovery point, target namespace, new VM name and StorageClass; distinguish VM/PVC recovery from database restore.

Open guide
08

Database Backup

Prepare agent-based database policies and OpenShift PostgreSQL/MySQL logical streaming separately; check source, method, retention and initial backup acceptance.

Open guide
09

Database Restore

Prepare recovery point, target database, credential reference and final acceptance checks according to the engine and backup method.

Open guide
010

Exchange Backup

Prepare the Exchange agent, registered instance, database selection and backup acceptance plan. Check which release validates DAG, database and mailbox objectives.

Open guide
011

Exchange Restore

Inspect the Exchange catalog item, recovery point and mailbox selection screen; distinguish a UI preview from an actually completed recovery operation.

Open guide
012

Active Directory Backup

Prepare the AD agent, domain controller source, policy selection and catalog acceptance; distinguish object recovery from System State and forest recovery objectives.

Open guide
013

Active Directory Restore

Prepare the AD catalog point, object identity, attribute difference and scoped restore delegation; assess Recycle Bin and System State objectives separately.

Open guide
014

Kubernetes Backup Guide

Prepare EraBackup Kubernetes agent policies, PVC/Pod selection and node/control-plane methods for your distribution; plan catalog and isolated restore acceptance together.

Open guide
015

Kubernetes Restore Guide

Inspect Kubernetes catalog records, PVC targets and control-plane recovery limits separately; verify source/namespace mapping and application acceptance.

Open guide
016

Rancher Backup Preparation Guide

Separate Rancher local management, RKE2/K3s and downstream application scope; distinguish the EraBackup agent method from Rancher’s own backup operator.

Open guide
017

Rancher Restore Preparation Guide

Prepare separate source, target and acceptance checks for Rancher management restore, RKE2/K3s cluster recovery and downstream application recovery.

Open guide
018

OpenStack Backup

Prepare OpenStack backup from VM, Cinder disk, project and consistency profile through the Full/incremental chain.

Open guide
019

OpenStack Restore

Plan OpenStack VM restore with recovery point, disk chain, metadata and target project/network mappings.

Open guide
020

Safir Bulut Backup

Prepare Safir Bulut backup from VM, Cinder disk, project and consistency profile through the Full/incremental chain.

Open guide
021

Safir Bulut Restore

Plan Safir Bulut VM restore with recovery point, disk chain, metadata and target project/network mappings.

Open guide
022

Hyper-V Backup Guide

Prepare Hyper-V backup with source connection, VM/disk selection, retention and initial acceptance checks.

Open guide
023

Hyper-V Restore Guide

Plan recovery point, disk chain and Hyper-V targets within the scope exposed by the source template.

Open guide
024

Proxmox Backup Guide

Prepare Proxmox backup with source connection, VM/disk selection, retention and initial acceptance checks.

Open guide
025

Proxmox Restore Guide

Plan recovery point, disk chain and Proxmox targets within the scope exposed by the source template.

Open guide
026

KVM Backup Preparation Guide

KVM Backup Preparation Guide: assess releases, source access and validated target scope.

Open guide
027

KVM Restore Preparation Guide

KVM Restore Preparation Guide: assess releases, source access and validated target scope.

Open guide
028

Sangfor Backup Preparation Guide

Sangfor Backup Preparation Guide: assess releases, source access and validated target scope.

Open guide
029

Sangfor Restore Preparation Guide

Sangfor Restore Preparation Guide: assess releases, source access and validated target scope.

Open guide
030

Windows File Backup

Prepare file and folder selection, agent access, repository, retention and initial acceptance for Windows servers step by step.

Open guide
031

Windows File Restore

Prepare recovery points, file selection, target paths and data acceptance for Windows servers step by step.

Open guide
032

Linux File Backup

Prepare file and folder selection, agent access, repository, retention and initial acceptance for Linux servers step by step.

Open guide
033

Linux File Restore

Prepare recovery points, file selection, target paths and data acceptance for Linux servers step by step.

Open guide
034

Windows Bare Metal Image Backup

Prepare Windows Bare Metal image backup with agent access, disk scope, boot dependencies and a recovery test.

Open guide
035

Windows Bare Metal Image Restore

Prepare Windows Bare Metal image recovery points, destination disks, recovery environment and boot/data acceptance.

Open guide
036

Linux Bare Metal Image Backup

Prepare Linux Bare Metal image backup with agent access, disk scope, boot dependencies and a recovery test.

Open guide
037

Linux Bare Metal Image Restore

Prepare Linux Bare Metal image recovery points, destination disks, recovery environment and boot/data acceptance.

Open guide
038

Replication Guide

Prepare replication acceptance with site mappings, the first Full seed, incremental generations and a verified checkpoint.

Open guide
039

Disaster Recovery Guide

Prepare service recovery with checkpoint selection, isolated testing, fencing, controlled failover and failback planning.

Open guide
040

NAS Backup

Prepare source/destination roles, Storage Policy scope and data acceptance for NAS.

Open guide
041

NAS Restore

Prepare catalogs, recovery chains, destination effects and file acceptance for NAS.

Open guide
042

S3-Compatible Object Storage Backup

Prepare source/destination roles, Storage Policy scope and data acceptance for S3-Compatible Object Storage.

Open guide
043

S3-Compatible Object Storage Restore

Prepare catalogs, recovery chains, destination effects and file acceptance for S3-Compatible Object Storage.

Open guide
044

SQL Server Backup

Prepare SQL Server agent access, instance/database selection, method and initial backup acceptance.

Open guide
045

SQL Server Restore

Prepare SQL Server recovery points, chains, destination instances and application acceptance step by step.

Open guide
046

Oracle Backup

Prepare Oracle agent access, instance/database selection, method and initial backup acceptance.

Open guide
047

Oracle Restore

Prepare Oracle recovery points, chains, destination instances and application acceptance step by step.

Open guide
048

PostgreSQL Backup

Validate PostgreSQL methods, instance/database scope and initial data acceptance.

Open guide
049

PostgreSQL Restore

Validate PostgreSQL methods, instance/database scope and destination chains.

Open guide
050

MySQL Backup

Validate MySQL methods, instance/database scope and initial data acceptance.

Open guide
051

MySQL Restore

Validate MySQL methods, instance/database scope and destination chains.

Open guide
052

MariaDB Backup

Prepare MariaDB instances, methods, data scope and initial acceptance.

Open guide
053

MariaDB Restore

Prepare MariaDB recovery points, log chains and validated destination effects.

Open guide
054

MongoDB Backup

Prepare MongoDB instances, methods, data scope and initial acceptance.

Open guide
055

MongoDB Restore

Prepare MongoDB recovery points, log chains and validated destination effects.

Open guide
056

DB2 Backup

Prepare DB2 instance, database/tablespace, methods and initial backup acceptance.

Open guide
057

DB2 Restore

Prepare DB2 instance, database/tablespace, recovery chains and destination acceptance.

Open guide
058

Repository Installation Guide

Use repository identity, HTTPS access, capacity and verified data acceptance to prepare installation.

Open guide
059

Storage Management Guide

Use repository identity, HTTPS access, capacity and verified data acceptance to manage storage operations.

Open guide
060

Monitoring Guide

Prepare scope, state verification and operational acceptance for monitoring step by step.

Open guide
061

Reporting Guide

Prepare scope, state verification and operational acceptance for reporting step by step.

Open guide
062

Notification Management Guide

Prepare scope, state verification and operational acceptance for notification management step by step.

Open guide
063

User Management Guide

Validate identity, role/group and tenant/resource boundaries for user management.

Open guide
064

Role Management Guide

Validate identity, role/group and tenant/resource boundaries for role management.

Open guide
065

Permission Management Guide

Validate identity, role/group and tenant/resource boundaries for permission management.

Open guide
066

LDAP / Active Directory Integration Guide

Validate LDAP connectivity, directory users and tenant/role mappings separately.

Open guide
067

Two-Factor Authentication Guide

Assess email OTP, expiry and sign-in-path exceptions through an acceptance plan.

Open guide
068

Troubleshooting Guide

Assess symptoms, job identity, services and data acceptance step by step to diagnose issues.

Open guide
069

Log Analysis Guide

Assess symptoms, job identity, services and data acceptance using timelines and redacted logs.

Open guide
070

License Management Guide

Prepare identity, package/scope and post-action acceptance for license management.

Open guide
071

Version Upgrade Guide

Prepare identity, package/scope and post-action acceptance for version upgrade.

Open guide
072

Backup Scheduling Guide

Plan source, method, capacity and data acceptance together for backup scheduling.

Open guide
073

Retention Policies Guide

Plan source, method, capacity and data acceptance together for retention policies.

Open guide
074

Deduplication Guide

Assess deduplication layers, policy selections and measured data acceptance separately.

Open guide
075

Compression Guide

Assess compression layers, policy selections and measured data acceptance separately.

Open guide
076

Encryption Guide

Assess encryption layers, release support, key ownership and restore acceptance step by step.

Open guide
077

WORM Protection Guide

Validate the WORM option, repository requirements, protection period and catalog evidence separately.

Open guide
078

Backup Validation Guide

Assess job records, recovery chains and isolated restores using measurable acceptance steps.

Open guide
079

Integrity Check Guide

Review hash comparisons, repository chains and backend verification limits step by step.

Open guide
080

Bandwidth Management Guide

Manage transfer scheduling, concurrency and network impact through measurable steps.

Open guide
081

Performance Optimization Guide

Assess source, network, repository and concurrency effects through controlled comparisons.

Open guide
082

Agent Installation Guide

Prepare Windows and Linux components, secure enrollment requirements and initial connectivity acceptance step by step.

Open guide
083

Agent Management Guide

Manage agent inventory, connectivity health, updates and retirement conditions through controlled steps.

Open guide
084

API Usage Guide

Prepare integration requirements, the support process and secure test acceptance without exposing technical secrets.

Open guide
085

Automation Guide

Combine scheduled jobs, error behavior, monitoring and rollback in a secure automation plan.

Open guide
086

Audit Records Guide

Prepare event scope, time correlation and secure evidence sharing step by step.

Open guide
087

Security Management Guide

Assess access, updates, data protection and incident handling without publishing sensitive configuration.

Open guide
088

Multi-Site Guide

Plan site roles, data copies, connectivity impact and recovery acceptance through controlled steps.

Open guide
089

Centralized Management Guide

Assess inventory, access boundaries, job tracking and centralized operational acceptance step by step.

Open guide
090

Archiving Guide

Assess archival needs, target support, data scope and recovery requirements step by step.

Open guide
091

Long-Term Retention Guide

Plan retention needs, chain dependencies, continued access and periodic recovery acceptance.

Open guide
092

Multi-Tenancy Guide

Assess tenant separation, resource ownership and access boundaries through controlled acceptance.

Open guide
093

Tenant Management Guide

Plan tenant onboarding, user/resource mappings and retirement acceptance safely.

Open guide
094

Capacity Planning Guide

Assess data volume, change rate, retention chains and safe capacity headroom together.

Open guide
095

Scaling Guide

Measure storage and processing load separately to prepare supported expansion and acceptance plans.

Open guide
096

High Availability Guide

Assess service dependencies, support scope and controlled failover acceptance separately.

Open guide
097

Load Balancing Guide

Assess access traffic, health checks and job concurrency against the supported architecture.

Open guide

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