While enabling the backup add-on, it is recommended that you provide Domain Admin privileges to the service account used to configure the AD domains in ManageEngine ADManager Plus. However, if your organization’s policy restricts the use of the Domain Admin account, you can assign the service account with the least privileges required for the working of the backup add-on.
Action | Permissions |
Backup AD objects | Read permission, replicating directory changes, and replicating directory changes all permission for Domain, DomainDNSZones, ForestDNSZones, configuration, schema partitions. |
Backing up GPOs | Add the service account to Administrators group. |
To restore deleted GPOs | Add the service account to Group Policy Creator Owners group. |
To restore all AD objects | Write permission. |
Provide the service account with Read permission for Domain, DomainDNSZones, ForestDNSZones, configuration, and schema partitions in Active Directory.
Open ADSI Edit.
Click Action > Connect to.
In the Connection Settings dialog box that appears, provide the distinguished name of the Domain partition and click OK.
Right-click the domain in the left-pane and click on Properties.
In the dialog box that appears, select the service account from the field for Group or user names. In the Permissions section, select the check-box against Replicating Directory Changes, Replicating Directory Changes All, and Read, and click Apply.
Now that the user account has been provided with all permissions relating to domain partition, click Action > Settings in ADSI edit.
Add DomainDNSZones, ForestDNSZones, configuration and schema partitions to ADSI edit and repeat the steps to provide the account with all the required permissions.
With these permissions in place, the user account can be used to configure the domain to ADManager Plus and perform backup operations.
Performing restorations when you add your domain using a service account
The permissions you had given to the service account will only allow the product to take backups of your AD environment.
Backing up GPOs
To back up GPOs, the product has to run PowerShell commands to access the admin share folder and the service account has to be added to the Administrators group.