Backing up active directory

[BaronSamedi]

Is there some method for backing up active directory information, in particular security IDs?

I'm presently building a new server and would like to simply transfer the AD user information to it, from the old, so that I can then simply transfer the Exchange database and have the users access their email.

I know I can labourously export and import the user's Exchange email boxes but I'm trying to speed this process up.

 

[aftertaf]

i'm not certain what your final goal is.

to back up AD, you can run the backup tool with windows, and choose system state backup.

but if you want to transfer or duplicate to a 2nd server, you can just make it a new DC in the same domain and replication will occur, giving you 2 DCs (fault tolerance...)

What are you actually wanting to do in regard to exchange? your mail server doesnt have to be a DC, it can access AD anyway as a member server and on installation it integrates with the AD schema

Aftertaf
Last time I checked, i wasn't Mike Lacey

 

[BaronSamedi]

Unfortunately, that won't work as I'm using Small Business Server, which doesn't allow any other Domain Controllers in the same domain, as it nor will it allow a trust relationship to be created between domains.

Basically, I'm trying to build a new server and transfer the Exchange from the old SBS to the new SBS system, without necessarily exporting and importing the email data.

Using NTBackup to backup the "system state" effectively backs up AD _and_ the registry. If I restore that to the new server, it will overwrite the registry for that computer, with all the associated problems with drivers, etc.