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Please explain me why I have to add just some registry keys to repair sysvol-replication. I mean, it is like file-based and I want to backup it before I change anything.

There are some NtFrs 13568. 2 DCs and a broken replication, maybe it they replicated only one time GPOs because there exist some GPO folders with old dates.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/cc507518(v=vs.85).aspx#backing_up_an_frs-replicated_sysvol_folder_on_a_windows_server_2008_or_windows_server_2003__domain

I have read somewhere the sysvol backup is included in system state backup, but in the manual there is a note which tells you it doesn't include sysvol and where the backup will appear?

There is an authorative mode and non authorative mode (D4 and D2) and an "enable journal wrap automatic restore" registry key which I need somehow.

I know that I have to migrate FRS to DFS-R when I finished the replication issues.

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Please explain me why I have to add just some registry keys to repair sysvol-replication.

Because that's the way FRS was designed. The service monitors the NTFS USN journal in order to detect changes to files that need to be replicated. If the service is left stopped for too long (while the USN journal continues to increment,) or if the frequency of changes on the NTFS volume is too great, the USN journal can "wrap" without the FRS service there to witness it and the FRS service doesn't know how to proceed. In order to protect you from unintended data loss, FRS doesn't try to "self-heal," it waits patiently for an administrator to manually intervene.

I have read somewhere the sysvol backup is included in system state backup, but in the manual there is a note which tells you it doesn't include sysvol and where the backup will appear?

SYSVOL is included in a system state backup. It's usually stored at %Windir%\SYSVOL. But if you don't restore it authoritatively, (D4,) it might get overwritten by another domain controller after you restore it.

Edit: Let me clarify the previous statement:

Note System state backups for Windows domain controllers do not include the FRS database that maintains state information for the FRS service pertaining to the files within the SYSVOL folder and other content sets. The FRS database, debug logs, staging area files, and files in the pre-existing data folder are excluded from a system state backup. The following sample FRS writer specification contains the exclusion list in the "Excluded files" section.

The files themselves are included in a system state backup, but the database is not, therefore you have to perform a restore (either D2 or D4) to make it a functional FRS replica again. A restore of FRS rebuilds the database.

D2 is the safer alternative - it simply re-downloads everything in SYSVOL from another replication partner. D4 is the "authoritative" mode, which is more involved because you have to go touch every DC, and it forces every DC to redownload from the authoritatively restored master. Don't D4 unless you're really neck deep in shit creek with your mouth wide open.

Here's the info about the automatic restore" registry key:

By default, versions of the Ntfrs.exe file from Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3) and from Windows 2000 SP3 hotfix do not perform an automatic nonauthoritative restore (for example, SP3 leaves content in place as 2195 and SP1 left the context in place) when journal wrap errors are detected. SP3 versions of NTFRS may be configured to function like SP2 when the "Enable journal wrap automatic restore" registry entry is set to 1 in the following registry subkey:

HKLM\System\Ccs\Services\Ntfrs\Parameters

Important We do not recommend that you use this registry setting, and this setting should not be used versions of Windows after the Service Pack 3 version of Windows 2000. The recommended method for performing a nonauthoritative restore on FRS members of DFS or SYSVOL replica sets is to use the FRS BurFlags registry value.

See the section in bold? Don't use this registry key. Why not? Unintended data loss, that's why. FRS is old and busted and you should have stopped using it 10 years ago.

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  • Ok thanks, but I want to backup via system state backup and proceed. Can you explain like a best practice? How I can backup and repair replication of the 2nd DC? There are usually explanation using 'D4' in 'Burflags' registry key like this serverfault.com/questions/297456/… and blogs.msmvps.com/acefekay/2013/08/28/how-to-recover-a-journal-wrap-error-jrnl_wrap_error-and-a-corrupted-sysvol-from-a-good-dc-what-option-do-i-use-d4-or-d2-whats-the-difference-between-d4-and-d2/ Apr 13, 2016 at 7:09
  • If I understand aright, I have to use the summary of blogs.msmvps.com/acefekay/2013/08/28/… Apr 13, 2016 at 7:19

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