title: Application Server Requirements sidebar_label: System Requirements description: Hardware and software requirements for the Recovery for Active Directory application server including RAM, disk space, and operating systems.
Application Server Requirements
The Windows Server can be physical or virtual. The following Windows Server operating systems are supported:
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows Server 2012
Additionally the server must meet these requirements:
- Domain-joined server
- 2.0 GHz or faster dual core 64-bit (x64) processor
RAM and Disk Space
These are dependent upon the total number of Active Directory objects.
| Environment | Large | Medium | Small |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | Greater than 100,000 objects | Between 25,000 and 100,000 objects | Less than 25,000 objects |
| RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | 8 GB |
| Disk Space | 1 TB *SSD preferred | 250 GB | 100 GB |
Additional Server Requirements
-
The Recovery for Active Directory installer checks if .Net 8.06 is installed on the machine. If not, it is installed as part of the Recovery Application Server installation process.
-
Install the
msoledbsql.msito enable the application server to connect to the SQL Server prior to starting installationNOTE: The latest
msoledbsql.msican be obtained from Microsoft's website. Netwrix does not redistribute this file. -
Group Policy Management Console (required to backup and to recover GPOs)
-
Optional: SQL Server Management Studio installed on the application server
Permissions for Installation
The following permission is required to install the application:
- Membership in the local Administrators group
- Log on as a service right from the Local Security Policy (Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > Log on as a service policy)
- SQL Server permissions – Domain account needs to be granted SQL Server permissions.
- Recovery Configuration Utility – Must have Domain Admin rights to use all options in this utility
Virtual Environment Recommendations
While physical machines are always preferred, we fully support the use of virtual machines. Microsoft® Hyper-V® and VMWare® ESX®/ESXi™ are supported hyper visors.
Target Server Considerations
This topic lists the requirements for the target servers where you want to restore the domain controllers for performing a forest recovery. See the Recover a Forest topic for additional information.
Remember, target server refers to a server where you intent to restore a domain controller.
Target Server and Operating System Requirements
Consider the following when restoring domain controllers.
- The target servers must be isolated from the environment in such a way that they cannot name-resolve the domain that is restored. The process of restoring a domain will fail if the server is able to see that a domain of that name already exists. Typically, DNS in the target environment used for forest recovery should be configured in a way that allows each server in that environment to see each other.
- The target server must be a base installation of the Windows Server operating system (OS).
- The target server OS version should be the same version as the source domain controllers from which the backups were created. For example, a backup from a Windows Server 2022 domain controller would need to be restored to a Windows Server 2022 target server.
- While restoring a domain controller, things such as the ADDS role and configuration are done with the product, so there is no requirement to have those in place.
When the Target Server is a Virtual Machine
Following are some considerations when the target server is a virtual machine.
- Memory and storage configuration for the virtual machine should match the hardware configuration of the domain controller where the backup was performed.
- The virtual machine should be in an isolated environment (i.e., should not be able to contact the source forest or domains).
- The virtual machines should allow File and Print Sharing through the firewall as well as Remote Management, if possible.
Network Bandwidth Requirement for the Restore Operation
Network bandwidth should be as fast as available but can operate efficiently with 100 Mbps. Slower bandwidth will result in a longer setup stage for the restore as the backup container has to be copied to the target server.