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Install the agent and register Active Directory Domain

This article provides instructions on how to install the agent and activate it on Active Directory server to register domains

Updated today

Overview

To enable data backup from your Active Directory Domains, you must first register those Active Directory Domains.

During registration, Druva generates a registration key that you must use to establish connection between the agent and Druva cloud.

What is Registration Key and how it helps?

The Registration Key is a secure digital key used to link your Active Directory Domains to the Cloud.

Activation ensures that the agent establishes a persistent connection with Cloud, thus enabling backups from the Active Directory Domains on which they are installed.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the configuration, ensure the following conditions are met on the target Windows Server:

Identity and Directory Services

  • LDAP Configuration: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) must be fully set up and operational on the local machine.

  • DSRM Password: The Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password must be set and documented. This is critical for booting into safe mode to repair Active Directory during Forest Recovery - System State Recovery.

  • A shared folder path is required to store the system state backup.

Data Protection and Recovery

  • Active Directory Recycle Bin: This feature must be Enabled. Note that once enabled, it cannot be disabled; it allows for the recovery of deleted objects without restoring from backup.

  • Windows Server Backup (WSB): The WSB feature must be installed via Server Manager. This is the primary tool for creating system state backups.

Security and Encryption

  • SSL/TLS Certificate: A Self-Signed Certificate must be generated and bound to the server to secure LDAP traffic (LDAPS).

How to install the agent and register Active Directory Domain?

Step 1 : Download the agent and generate registration key

  1. Log in to the Management Console.

  2. On the Cloud Platform dashboard, navigate to the Global Navigation icon and click Microsoft Active Directory. The Microsoft Active Directory landing page appears.

  3. On the Microsoft Active Directory landing page, click Register Domain.

  4. On the Register Domain page, under the Download and Install Agent section, do one of the following:

    Scenario 1: Agent installer not downloaded:

    1. If you have not yet downloaded the agent installer, click Check Pre-requisite to check the agent prerequisites.

    2. In the Select OS dropdown, select the operating system as Windows Server (64-bit) of the server where you will install the agent, and then click Download. The agent download starts on the same browser page. The agent is not downloaded on the destination server unless you click Download through the Management Console on the destination server.

    Scenario 2: Agent installer already downloaded:

    If the agent has already been downloaded, proceed to the Activate agent for Backup section.​

  5. Under the Activate Agent for Backup section, if there are no existing keys available, a Default Registration Key is generated. This key is valid for a single server and for 7 days. If this key has expired, click Generate Key.

    • This registration key can activate: The number of servers that the activation token can activate. The default value is 01 server.

    • The registration key expires in: The number of days after which the activation token expires. The default value is 7 days.
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  6. In the Generate Key window, you can copy the generated key by clicking the Copy icon. Click Done.

Step 2: Install and activate Active Directory agent

​Install agent on Active Directory Domain Controller

Before you begin

Review the following requirements:

  • You are logged in as an administrator to the Domain that you want to back up.

  • Use the Download on the Register Domain page to download the Active Directory agent installer on your Domain. The installer is available from the Druva Downloads page and also from the Register Domain > Download and Install Agent section.

  • Ensure that Local System Account has read and write permissions for all the files and folders you configure for backup.

Install the agent

  1. Go to the location where you have downloaded the Active Directory agent installer.

    Tip: You can perform uninstall and repair operations also from here.

  2. Double-click the Druva Microsoft Active Directory Agent Installer. The Druva Microsoft Active Directory Agent Installer wizard appears. Click Next.

  3. Review the Cloud Services Customer Agreement. Select the checkbox and click Next.

  4. Specify the Installation Location and select the appropriate checkboxes as needed and click Install to start installation.

    1. (Optional) Desktop Shortcut: You can create a desktop shortcut for the Active Directory Agent installation wizard.

    2. (Optional) Enable Signature Verification: Selecting this option ensures the integrity and authenticity of binaries. It also prevents the execution of any altered binaries, thereby safeguarding against malicious modifications or tampering with packages.

  5. After the installation completes, click Finish to proceed with the next step - Activating the agent.

Activate the agent using Registration Key and add Domain for backup

After you install agent, you must activate that agent using the registration key that was generated at the time of registering Domains. The Registration Key is a secure digital key used to link your Active Directory servers to the Cloud.

Activation ensures that the agent establishes a persistent connection with Cloud, thus enabling backups from the Active Directory Domains on which they are installed.

📝 Note

  • We recommend that you use a single registration key to activate servers that share something in common. For example, you might want to use a registration key to activate all servers that are geographically co-located.

  • If your network infrastructure uses a Web proxy, you must configure it before activation. For more information, see Add Web proxy.

Procedure

  1. From the Register Domain dialog box in the Management Console, click Copy icon to copy the registration key.

  2. Double-click the Druva Microsoft Active Directory Agent shortcut on the server where the agent needs to be activated.
    The Druva Microsoft Active Directory Agent window is displayed.

  3. Copy the registration key (Step 1) and paste it in the Domain Registration Key.

  4. Enter the Server details.

  5. The type of Cloud deployment: Public Cloud.

  6. In Cloud URL, you will see the global gateway URL details. The default recommended value is displayed.

  7. Click Register. A set of in-built activation checks are run and the result is displayed. You can Add Web Proxy if your network infrastructure uses Web Proxy.

  8. After the activation completes, click Manage Domain to add Domain for backup.

  9. On the Manage Domain popup, enter the following details and click Save to add the Domain for backup.

    1. Domain Name

    2. Secure connection checkbox - Select this checkbox to securely connect to LDAP.

    3. Username for connecting to Domain

    4. Password for connecting to Domain

    5. Shared folder path: Required to store the wbadmin system state backup. This share can reside on the local machine or a remote network server. The administrator account must have full Read/Write permissions for this path.

Add Web proxy

Active Directory agent connects to the Druva Cloud through the internet. If your network infrastructure uses a Web proxy, configure the agent to use Web proxy to establish a connection with the Druva Cloud.

Configure Web proxy using the user interface

Before you begin

Ensure that Active Directory agent is running before starting proxy settings.

Procedure

  1. Double-click the Active Directory Agent application.

  2. In the Agent Activation window, select Add Web Proxy. The Web Proxy options are displayed.​
    ​

    1. In the Proxy Type drop-down list, select one of the supported proxy types(http, socks4, socks5). The default selection is http.

    2. In the Proxy Server IP Address field, enter a valid IP address of the proxy server.

    3. In the Proxy Port field, enter the respective port number.

    4. If you want to add authentication to your proxy server, select the Proxy server requires authentication check box and add relevant username and password in their respective fields.

  3. Click Save.
    The Web Proxy is added.

Once these steps are completed successfully, you can view the registered Domain on the Microsoft Active Directory > Forests page. Click Configure Now to proceed with the next step which is configure registered Domain for first backup.

Here's a quick video tour that helps you get started with Microsoft Active Directory Data Protection.
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