Create a Microsoft Hyper-V recovery target for Active Directory forest recovery

Create a recovery target for the Microsoft Hyper-V host you want to recover your domain controllers to.

Specify a VM template or a WinPE ISO file

Methods for recovering domain controllers to Microsoft Hyper-V are as follows:

• Recover AD to clean VM (database only): Provide a VM template.

• Recover to new VM (full System State): Download and provide a WinPE ISO file.

VM template

Follow the steps to prepare a virtual machine to be used as a template for recovering domain controllers:

1. Create a virtual machine on the Hyper-V server with Windows Server installed. The following table describes the OS versions that are supported for the forest functional level you are protecting:

   Forest functional level	Supported OS versions
   Windows Server 2025	Windows Server 2025
   Windows Server 2016	Windows Server 2025 Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2016
   Windows Server 2012 R2	Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2012 R2

   Note

   The Windows Server must not be domain-joined or configured as a domain controller. Creating this VM by using Sysprep is not supported.

2. Log on to the Commvault Store.

3. On the store, search for “CVcustomizeVM” and download the package.

4. On the store, search for “AD Forest HyperV Repave scripts" and download the package.

5. Copy the packages downloaded from the Commvault Store to a folder on the virtual machine you will use as a VM template.

6. Extract the contents of the downloaded packages.

7. Open a Command Prompt from the folder where the package contents were extracted.

8. In the Command Prompt type “CVCustomizeVM -install” and press Enter.

   This installs the customization service to prepare the Windows Server to be used as a VM template.

9. In the Command Prompt type “CVCustomizeVM -start” and press Enter.

   This starts the VM customization service.

10. Open Windows PowerShell and run the FirewallRulesForCommvaultPushInstall.ps1 script.

    This PowerShell script configures Windows Firewall so that Commvault software can be installed remotely on the VM. It enables incoming ports for TCP, WMI, DCOM, SMB, File and Printer Sharing, and dynamic RPC.

11. In Windows PowerShell, run the WindowsServicesForCommvaultPushInstall.ps1 script.

    This PowerShell script configures Windows services so that Commvault software can be installed remotely on the VM. It configures RPC, DCOM, and remote management services to start automatically.

Download the latest WinPE5.1 ISO file

1. In a web browser, go to Commvault Store.

2. In the navigation pane, click Media Kits.

   The Media Kits page appears.

3. In the navigation pane, click 1-Touch.

4. Download the latest version of WinPE5.1 or WinPE5_1 ISO.

Start the Add Microsoft Hyper-V target wizard

1. From the Command Center navigation pane, go to Protect > Active Directory.

   The Overview page appears.

2. On the Forests tab, click the forest.

   The forest page appears.

3. On the Runbook tab, click the runbook.

   The runbook page appears.

4. On the Runbook settings tab, in the Create new domain controller VM from backup section, click View recovery targets.

   The Recovery targets dialog box appears.

5. Click Add recovery target.

   The Select target dialog box appears.

6. Select Microsoft Hyper-V.

7. Click Select target.

   The Add Microsoft Hyper-V target wizard appears.

General page

1. Enter a name for the recovery target.

2. To register a new Hyper-V host, beside Destination client, click the add button.

   The Add hypervisor dialog box appears.

3. Download the Active Directory Forest access node package.

4. Install the access node package on a server that has access to your Hyper-V host.

5. Wait until the installation completes successfully.

6. In the Add hypervisor dialog box, refresh the Hyper-V nodes list, and then select the host you installed the access node package on.

7. In the Host name box, enter the host name of the Hyper-V server.

8. In the Hypervisor display name box, enter a name for the recovery target.

9. For Credential, click the add button.

   The Add credential dialog box appears.

10. Enter a name for the credential.

11. Enter the user name and password for an administrative account that has access to the Hyper-V server.

12. Click Save.

13. Click Save in the Add hypervisor dialog box.

14. For Destination client, select the Hyper-V host.

15. For Access node, select the server that you installed the access node package on.

16. For Security, select the roles that need access to the Hyper-V recovery target.

    Note

    You can ignore the VM display name options because they are not used.

17. Click Next.

Destination options page

1. For Restore location, select the location where you want the Hyper-V host to create the VMs for the recovered domain controllers.

2. For Destination folder, select the folder to store the restored VM files.

3. For Network adapter, select a network switch on the Hyper-V host that can communicate with the Commvault infrastructure.

4. Click Next.

Repave options page

On this page, you can provide a VM template to be used when restoring the domain controller with the Recover AD to clean VM database only method. If you are not using this method to recover the domain controller, no selections are required.

To specify your own Windows Server image, follow these steps:

1. To add your VM template, click Add.

   The Custom image page appears.

2. For Operating system, select Windows.

3. Select an image from the Amazon Machine Image (AMI) list.

4. Click Save.

If you specify your own image, follow these steps to specify a software cache:

1. For OS Type, select Windows.

2. Under Software cache, select the server where the software cache is configured.

3. Click Next.

Recommended location for the software cache

Place the software cache on the access node that has connectivity to your recovered domain controllers.

Steps to configure a new software cache

1. From the Command Center navigation pane, go to Explore > Companies.

2. Click the Software caches tab, and then click Add to create a software cache and specify the server and details to host the cache.

3. After creating the software cache, from the actions list, select Sync to ensure that the cache is up to date.

Live Mount page

It is not necessary to make changes to these settings.

Advanced options page

On this page, you can provide the ISO to be used to recover the domain controller with the Recover to new VM full System State method. If you are not using this method to recover the domain controller, no selections are required.

1. For 1-Touch ISO path Windows, enter the path to the WinPE5.1 ISO you downloaded.

2. Click Submit.

   Note

   • You don't need to provide a UNIX ISO.

   • Leave the default values for the CPU and memory configuration settings so that the recovered domain controller has the same virtual hardware configuration as the backed-up server.

   • You don't need to enable an association to a server group now. You can select a server group to associate recovered DCs with later, when you configure the runbook settings.

3. Close the Add Microsoft Hyper-V target wizard.