Supported Directories

Cygna Forest Recovery 26.1 protects Active Directory Domain Services.

Active Directory

  • Domain controller operating systems—Windows Server 2016 through Windows Server 2025, in both the Server Core and Desktop Experience installation options.
  • Forests and domains—One or more forests, each with one or more domains.
  • Recovery scopes—A single domain controller, one domain in a forest that is otherwise running, or an entire forest. For details, see Recovery Scopes.

Read-only domain controllers

Install the DC agent on read-only domain controllers (RODCs) as well, so they are part of the inventory and can take part in recovery steps. An RODC is never restored from a backup. When a recovery includes an RODC, it is rebuilt instead: its old directory data is cleaned up and it is promoted again. For the same reason, a recovery cannot start from an RODC, so each domain needs at least one writable domain controller with a usable backup.

What is not recovered

Some services that often run on domain controllers, such as Active Directory Certificate Services and DHCP, are not recovered by Cygna Forest Recovery. For the full list, see What Recovery Does Not Cover.

How this guide handles directory-specific content

Most of Cygna Forest Recovery works the same way regardless of the directory it protects: the Manager, the storage machine, backup storage and retention, operator accounts, alerts, and the audit trail. Topics about these subjects use general terms such as protected directory.

Content that applies only to Active Directory is in separate topics, placed in the chapters where you need them: