What is offline defragmentation in AD and how do we do it?

Question Posted / siddhartha rath

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What is offline defragmentation in AD and how do we do it?..

Answer / siddhartha rath

Performing an offline defragmentation creates a new,
compacted version of the database file. Depending on how
fragmented the original database file was, the new file may
be considerably smaller.

offline defragmentation of the Active Directory database:

Back up Active Directory.
Reboot the domain controller.
Choose Directory Services Restore Mode and press ENTER.
Log on using the Administrator account with the password
defined for the local Administrator account in the offline
SAM.
At the command prompt, type ntdsutil, and then press ENTER.
Type files, and then press ENTER.
Type info, and then press ENTER. This displays current
information about the path and size of the Active Directory
database and its log files. Note the path.
Establish a location that has enough drive space for the
compacted database to be stored.
Type compact to drive:\directory, and then press ENTER,
where drive and directory is the path to the location you
established in the previous step.

Note You must specify a directory path. If the path
contains any spaces, the entire path must be surrounded by
quotation marks. For example, type:
compact to "c:\new folder"
A new database named Ntds.dit is created in the path you
specified.
Type quit, and then press ENTER. Type quit again to return
to the command prompt.
If defragmentation succeeds without errors, follow the
Ntdsutil.exe on-screen instructions. Delete all the log
files in the log directory by typing the following command:
del drive :\ pathToLogFiles \*.log
Copy the new Ntds.dit file over the old Ntds.dit file in
the current Active Directory database path
Note You do not have delete the Edb.chk file.
Restart the computer normally

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What is offline defragmentation in AD and how do we do it?..

Answer / yuvaraj.sengottaiyan

offline defragment is nothing but,just take the backup of
ntds.dit and rebooot the server press f8 and go to
directory service mode login as local admin password
Note:In case if you not able to login in local admin reset
the dsrm passowrd and try again.
once u logged successfully in the local admin then go to--
>cmd-->type -->ntdsutil-->press enter
type-->file and press enter once again type --info-->press
enter

Note:(file)This will cause NTDSUTIL to switch to the File
Maintenance prompt

(info)This will cause NTDSUTIL to display information about
the size and location of the Active Directory database

Now you can view the displays current
information about the path and size of the Active Directory
database and its log files

Type compact to drive:\directory, and then press ENTER,
where drive and directory is the path to the location you
established the database,here you can specifiy any drive
location and directory

EX:Note You must specify a directory path. If the path
contains any spaces, the entire path must be surrounded by
quotation marks. For example, type:
compact to "c:\new folder" or "D:\new folder"

A new database named Ntds.dit is created in the path you
specified

If defragmentation succeeds without errors, follow the
Ntdsutil.exe on-screen instructions. Delete all the log
files in the log directory by typing the following command:
del drive :\ pathToLogFiles \*.log

Atlast you Copy the new Ntds.dit file over the old Ntds.dit
file in the current Active Directory database

Restart the computer normally.