BEST PRACTICES GUIDE

Tips and guidelines to get the most out of

RecoveryManager Plus.


We appreciate you choosing RecoveryManager Plus for your Active Directory and virtual machine
backup and restoration needs. Before installing the product, please take a few minutes to go
through some of our best practices. These are based on our experience, research, and product
testing.

This guide is broken down into the following sections:

1. Scope of the product

2. Hardware requirements

3. Operating systems

4. Databases

5. Browsers

6. Best practices for AD backup

7. Best practices for VM backup

1. Scope of the product

Active Directory:

You can choose RecoveryManager Plus to back up and recover AD running on the following
servers:

• Windows Server 2016

• Windows Server 2012 R2

• Windows Server 2012

• Windows Server 2008 R2

• Windows Server 2008

Virtual machines:

RecoveryManager Plus can back up and restore virtual machines (VMs) running the following
versions.

VMware VMs:

ESXi versions: 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5

vCenter versions: 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5

Hyper-V VMs:

• Windows Server Hyper-V 2008

• Windows Server Hyper-V 2008 R2

• Windows Server Hyper-V 2012

• Windows Server Hyper-V 2012 R2

2. Hardware requirements
Installing RecoveryManager Plus in your environment is quite simple. After downloading the
product from our website, run it and follow the instructions in the InstallShield Wizard.

You can install RecoveryManager Plus on any Windows machine that satisfies the following
criteria.

Hardware Recommended
Processor P4 – 1.0 GHz
RAM 2 GB
Disk space 2 GB

3. Operating systems
3.1 Installing RecoveryManager Plus on client machines

RecoveryManager Plus can be installed on machines running the following operating systems:

• Windows Server 2012 R2

• Windows Server 2012

• Windows Server 2008 R2

• Windows Server 2008

• Windows Vista SP2 and later

Note 1: The forest and domain functional level of the DC in which RecoveryManager Plus
has been installed has to be 2003 or above.
Note 2: The DC(s) configured in the product must be of version 2008 or above.
3.2 64-bit vs. 32-bit operating systems

RecoveryManager Plus can be run on both 64-bit and 32-bit operating systems, but we
recommend running RecoveryManager Plus on a 64-bit operating system for better
performance. For large enterprises, a 64-bit system will certainly deliver peak performance and
support a large number of users.

4. Databases
RecoveryManager Plus comes with a built-in PostgreSQL database. However, the product also
supports external MS SQL databases.

If your company is a large enterprise, MS SQL is ideal for a few reasons:

• It's easier to manage and organize data in MS SQL, especially when working with a large
amount of data.

• MS SQL is a self-tuning database that requires less manual configuration.

• The backup process in MS SQL is easier and faster than PostgreSQL.

• Parameters can be added to avoid DB lock and table lock in MS SQL.

5. Browsers
RecoveryManager Plus supports the following browsers:

• Internet Explorer 8 and later

• Mozilla Firefox

• Google Chrome

6. Best practices for AD backup

6.1 Active Directory objects backup and recovery

6.1.1 Repository

Backups of AD objects (full backups and incremental backups) are stored in the pgSQL database
that comes bundled with the product. You could also use an MS SQL database.

We recommend setting aside a minimum of 2 GB of storage space in your database for storing
your backup data.
6.1.2 Incremental backup frequency

AD attributes like group memberships change often, while GPO attributes rarely change. That
being said, it's necessary to back up all new changes as quickly as possible.

That's why we recommend running incremental backups daily.

6.2 Bare metal backup and restoration

6.2.1 Repository

RecoveryManager Plus compresses backups of domain controllers to one-fourth of their original

size. The minimum required space might vary depending on the size of the domain controllers
and your organization’s retention policy.

We recommend allocating a minimum of 60 GB of storage space for your bare metal backups.
6.2.2 Backup frequency

We recommend fully backing up your domain controllers at least once a month and running an
incremental backup at least once a week.

7. Best practices for VM backup

7.1 Repository

VM backups are compressed to one-fourth of their original size and stored as a flat file. The
minimum required storage space might vary depending on the size of your VMs and your
organization’s retention policy.

Ideally, we recommend allocating a minimum of

60 GB of storage space for your VM backups.
7.2 Backup frequency New to RecoveryManager Plus?

We recommend fully backing up your VMs at least Join our

once a week and running an incremental backup daily. free online workshops
for in-depth product training
from ManageEngine experts.

For details or questions about RecoveryManager Plus, Register Now

please send us an email at support@recoverymanagerplus.com.

Tech Support Direct Dialing US:

support@recoverymanagerplus.com. +1-408-916-9393 +1 844 245 1108