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Virtualization platforms, such as Hyper-V, offer a number of convenience features that make managing, maintaining, backing up, and migrating computers easier. However, there are some common deployment practices and features that should not be used for virtual domain controllers. The following list describes the practices to avoid when you deploy domain controllers:

• Do not implement differencing disk virtual hard disks (VHDs) on a virtual machine that you are configuring as a domain controller. This makes it too easy to revert to a previous version, and it also decreases performance. For more information about VHD types, see New Virtual Hard Disk Wizard (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=137279).
• Do not clone the installation of an operating system without using Sysprep.exe because the security identifier (SID) of the computer will not be updated. For more information about running the System Preparation tool (Sysprep), see "Using virtual hard disks" in Ways to deploy an operating system to a virtual machine (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=137100).
• To help prevent a potential update sequence number (USN) rollback situation, do not use copies of a VHD file that represents an already deployed domain controller to deploy additional domain controllers. The next three items in this list are also recommended to help avoid potential USN rollback. For more information about USN rollback, see Appendix A: Virtualized Domain Controllers and Replication Issues.
• Do not use the Hyper-V Export feature to export a virtual machine that is running a domain controller

 

Running Sysprep on a domain controller damages the AD DS installation. Use Sysprep before you install the AD DS role to produce a unique security identifier (SID) for that installation.