Active Directory (AD) is a database and set of services connecting users to the network resources necessary for executing their daily tasks. This directory service runs on Microsoft Windows Servers and allows admins to manage permissions and control access to those network resources. This ensures that only the right users are granted access to certain areas. This service allows for higher levels of control over IT environments, leading to easier collaboration with enhanced security.
Active Directory is suitable for organizations of all sizes, across a wide number of use cases. These organizations, while enjoying the benefits of using this service, should ensure that they have an effective third-party Active Directory Recovery tool in place. As AD is an incredibly effective tool, if it were to become compromised during an attack, the consequences could be extensive.
Active Directory provides a range of core services needed for employees to carry out their work tasks in the IT ecosystem. This includes logging into their workstations, running applications, accessing data, and delivering services to customers. So, when disaster strikes – whether that be a human error, a natural disaster, or a cyberattack – your whole organization could feel the effects. This downtime can be highly disruptive and costly for the business.
The best way to minimize this downtime and avoid any issues is to have a comprehensive Active Directory Disaster Recovery solution in place to facilitate speedy recovery. These solutions achieve this by storing user data, logging changes, and monitoring user activities. Ultimately, this puts organizations in a better position to get through recovery process quicker, ensuring that there is as little downtime as possible.
To help you find the right Active Directory Recovery Tool for your organizations we have put together a list of options to consider.
RecoveryManager Plus is a comprehensive backup and recovery solution for enterprise Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Zoho WorkDrive environments. The solution is best suited for large IT environments.
ManageEngine RecoveryManager Plus Features:
RecoveryManager Plus excels at backingup up data at a granular level, ensuring data integrity and operational continuity.
Pricing and Plans: RecoveryManager Plus for AD and Entra ID starts at $475/yr for 250 user objects. Contact ManageEngine directly for information on custom plans, or to include other services like Google Workspace, SharePoint, and Exchange backup.
Expert Insights’ Comments: RecoveryManager Plus is a versatile backup and recovery tool that offers comprehensive coverage for large IT environments. It streamlines data recovery processes, mitigates risks such as ransomware, and enhances control with features like automated backups and technician auditing.
Microsoft Azure Backup is a secure, one-click backup solution that is scalable and will meet your specific backup storage needs. This solution is part of Azure Recovery Services and offers users simple and reliable methods of managing and protecting data. There is limitless storage, making this a cost effective long-term solution.
Microsoft Azure Backup Features:
Microsoft Azure Backup Pricing: There is an estimated cost calculator on the Microsoft Azure website. For an actual price quote, contact a sales specialist via their website.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Microsoft Azure Backup supports organizations in managing their data at scale, securing their backups, reducing costs associated with additional backup infrastructure, and protecting diverse workloads. This is a strong, well rated solution, which we would recommend to organizations with a particular interest in scalability, simplicity, and cost effectiveness in their Azure AD recovery tool.
Netwrix is an IT security software company who work to support organizations in controlling and managing their sensitive, regulated, and business critical data, wherever it resides. Their solution, Netwrix Recovery for Active Directory, works to simplify the process of reverting unwanted changes and restoring domain control for swift recovery and minimal costly downtime for business operations.
Netwrix Recovery for Active Directory Features:
Netwrix Recovery for Active Directory Pricing: Contact Netwrix directly for pricing information.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Netwrix’s solution allows organizations to reduce the chances of security breaches and the resulting loss of data. It will also prevent network downtime after an attack, and ensure faster, more efficient troubleshooting and remediation. Users praise the simple installation and configuration of this solution, as well as the excellent rollback feature. We would recommend Netwrix Recovery for Active Directory to organizations looking for a comprehensive solution that can overcome the limitations of the AD Recycle Bin.
Quest is a software solutions provider whose solutions empower and protect users and data and help to bolster security while streamlining IT operations. Their solution, Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory, enables organizations to back up Active Directory at the object and attribute level, while also allowing users to pinpoint alterations to their AD environment at a granular level.
Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory Features:
Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory Pricing: Contact the Quest sales team directly for a pricing quote.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Quest Recovery Manager for Active Directory allows users to compare backups to uncover any differences at the object level and ensure the recovery process is quick. Current users paise how backups can be performed with reduced user impact, as well as the highly detailed log of incidents which allows for granular control over backup and recovery. We would recommend this solution to organizations that are interested in AD recovery and want clear insights into all actions, their impact, and what to roll back.
Semperis is an enterprise identity protection company who support the quick recovery of organizations from accidental or malicious changes affecting Azure Active Directory. The solution arms organizations with the capability to automatically restore their AD environment. Semperis AD Forest Recovery promises fast, safe, and easy recovery from cyber disasters.
Semperis Active Directory Forest Recovery Features:
Semperis Active Directory Forest Recovery Pricing: Semperis offer a personalized demo, which you can request on their website. Contact Semperis directly for pricing information.
Expert Insights’ Comments: Semperis Active Directory Forest Recovery is a powerful solution designed to help businesses expedite their recovery from any downtime. Current users rate the solutions well, praising the ease of deployment, and user-friendly interface. We would recommend this solution to organizations looking for a solution that is feature rich and capable of delivering quick and efficient recovery.
Mistakes, malicious attacks, and disasters can happen. This can lead to your Active Directory environment being damaged and impacting on the productivity of your workforce. The results of this are loss of revenue and reputational damage. An Active Directory Recovery tool is software which works to mitigate these risks by recovering data from a Microsoft Active Directory database. This lets you restore deleted or lost user accounts, group policies, passwords, and other vital data that can been lost or corrupted.
If your organization utilizes Microsoft’s 365 productivity suite as well as its Active Directory, you may need a backup and recovery solution that covers the rest of your M365 environment. You can find a list of the best M365 backup and recovery providers here.
These tools work by scanning the AD database to identify data and making a log of it and backing it up. Future scans can identify if any data is corrupted or missing. Once identified, the missing data can be restored from the backups. It is important that these backups happen frequently enough, otherwise the restored data will be of limited use. The solutions will then validate the whole process by performing a final check of the recovered data, ensuring it is complete and accurate.
An Active Directory Recovery tool acts as an additional layer of support and protection against the often devastated effects of significant data loss or corruption. Overall, the solutions are highly useful and help to ensure what the AD environment is quickly restored, effectively minimizing the disruption to users and application.
Mirren McDade is a senior writer and journalist at Expert Insights, spending each day researching, writing, editing and publishing content, covering a variety of topics and solutions, and interviewing industry experts. She is an experienced copywriter with a background in a range of industries, including cloud business technologies, cloud security, information security and cyber security, and has conducted interviews with several industry experts. Mirren holds a First Class Honors degree in English from Edinburgh Napier University.
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA cloud, an email security provider acquired by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013, which has now been rebranded as VIPRE Email Security. Craig has extensive experience in the email security industry, with 20+ years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with innovative information security and cyber security solutions.