Backup and Restore Instructions for the DirSync Database

The Windows Azure Active Directory Sync tool (DirSync) is used to provision user accounts from Windows Active Directory on-premises to Azure Active Directory in the cloud. DirSync will synchronize changes to user accounts made on-premises to the cloud so that cloud users have access to directory information and can sign-in. This document describes how to backup and later restore the database and encryption keys required for a DirSync install. This will reduce the time to resynchronize user accounts from your on-premises Active Directory to Windows Azure Active Directory when there has been a failure of the previous DirSync installation. This document is specifically written for the 64-bit version the of DirSync. It outlines backup and restore steps required for when you need to reinstall DirSync on a new server after a failure condition. Specifically it will help you where the SQL Database used by DirSync is available either from a SQL high availability configuration or from backup and you are planning to use that with a new DirSync installation. The steps in this document assume that the DirSync application will be installed on a new or rebuilt machine. Some steps will not be needed if simply restoring the DirSync database to an existing DirSync server.

Supported Operating Systems

Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1

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