UMove for Active Directory

Move or copy Active Directory for backup or recovery

UMove is the only software utility that can move, recover, or clone the Microsoft^® Active Directory^® database for backup, recovery, or testing.

• Make perfect snapshots of Active Directory
• Recover Active Directory from a backup
• Move Active Directory to a replacement computer
• Rescue Active Directory from a non-bootable computer
• Copy Active Directory to a virtual machine (VM) for testing or training

UMove is the only utility that can make daily snapshots or clone the Active Directory (AD) database, even from a dead computer. It can back up and recover AD like no other utility.

Reliable and Quick Recovery

If your domain controller (DC) hardware fails you have only two recovery options: Rebuild the dead DC using a 20+ step manual procedure and complicated command-line tools, or restore the entire operating system onto identical computer hardware.

With UMove you can move the AD database to a clean computer, and do it quickly and easily.

A True Recovery Utility

UMove is a true recovery utility. It can rescue AD from any source or backup, even from a dead computer.

UMove should not be confused with more expensive “undo” utilities that create a shadow parallel database to track and roll back your changes. UMove simply clones the entire AD database by taking a perfect snapshot. It runs NTBACKUP to copy only the files used by AD, keeping the size small, creating a standard .BKF file for easy recovery on another computer.

Clone AD for Testing

Microsoft recommends that you validate the compatibility of all security-related configuration changes in a test forest before you introduce them in a production environment (Q823659).

UMove allows you to clone AD so that you can test your changes to Active Directory. You can copy a snapshot of AD to an isolated virtual machine (VM) or to an offline computer.

Upgrade to 64-bit

You can upgrade your 32-bit DC with a new 64-bit computer running Windows Server x64. An in-place upgrade swaps out the computer hardware while leaving the identity of the server unchanged. As far as the member computers and other DCs are concerned, the identity of the DC remains exactly the same.

An Emergency?

If your computer is not bootable, UMove can recover AD from a .BKF file or from the disk of your dead computer. See these Emergency Instructions.

What It Does

UMove creates daily snapshots of the Active Directory database and related data files. It can then copy or move the Active Directory database and the related data files to the new computer. Or it can recover AD from a dead computer's hard disk or reload AD from a standard .BKF backup file.

On request, UMove will also copy or move application databases that are closely associated with Active Directory. These include the Microsoft Exchange mailbox store, the Terminal Services License TSCAL database, the Domain Name System (DNS) database, the DHCP database, the WINS database, and the Internet Information Services (IIS) security database ("metabase").

For technical details see What Does UMove Do?

Example Uses and Benefits

• Create daily snapshots of AD for backup.
• Move Active Directory to new computer hardware.
• Run only one domain controller (instead of two) with disaster recovery capability.
• Recover AD from an expired or damaged .BKF file or tape.
• Clone or copy Active Directory to your test lab for testing or MCSE certification training.
• Send a snapshot of a AD to your support technician for diagnosis or troubleshooting.