The Authoritative Restore tool (Authrest.exe) that is available on the Microsoft Exchange Server compact disc enables you to force a restored directory database to replicate to other servers after restoring from a backup. For assistance in using this tool, contact Microsoft Technical Support.
A restored database is usually assumed to be less current than the collective information held on all other directory replicas in the organization. Therefore, a restored directory normally replaces its information with more recent data held by other servers. This functionality is appropriate when the reason for the restore is that a database or server was destroyed, but it is not always appropriate. For example, if an administrative error deleted thousands of mailboxes or vital configuration information, the goal of restoring from backup is not to restore one server to functionality but to move the entire system back to where it was before the error was made.
Without the Authoritative Restore tool, you would have to either restore every server in the organization from a backup that predates the error or restore every server in the site and then force all bridgeheads in other sites to resynchronize from scratch. If only one server is restored, or if servers are restored one at a time, the restored server quickly overwrites its restored data with the more recent (incorrect) information held by all other servers in the site.
The Authoritative Restore tool enables you to restore one server (presumably the server with the most recent pre-mistake backup) rather than all servers. Normal replication then causes the restored information to spread to all servers throughout the organization. The Authrest.exe file is available from the Support\Utils\<platform> directory on the Microsoft Exchange Server compact disc.