1. In a network system having a backup storage device configured to store content and an index of an Active Directory, a method for recovering objects in the Active Directory comprising: identifying a distinguished name of an object of interest from a backup storage device, the object of interest having been previously deleted from an active directory and the attributes stripped from the object; using the distinguished name of the object of interest, determining whether the object of interest exists in the active directory; if the object of interest does not exist in the active directory, using the distinguished name of the object of interest, determining whether the object of interest exists in a tombstone state; if the object of interest exists in the tombstone state, reanimating the object of interest and automatically restoring attributes of the object of interest from the backup storage device; identifying any children of the object of interest; and reaniminating the children of the object of interest and automatically restoring attributes of the children of the object of interest from the backup storage device.