Microsoft Azure – Backup and Restore Procedures

Microsoft Azure

Azure employs Azure Backup as a comprehensive solution for data protection. Azure Backup supports various workloads, including virtual machines, databases, and files. For instance, Azure Virtual Machines can be backed up using Azure Backup Vaults, and the restore process is facilitated through the Azure portal. Azure’s SQL Database service also integrates automatic backups with point-in-time restore capabilities.

Azure Backup is Microsoft Azure’s cloud-based backup solution and provides scalable, secure, and cost-effective backup services for various Azure services as well as on-premises data. Here’s an overview of the backup and restore services offered by Azure:

• Azure Backup for Azure Virtual Machines:
• Backup: Azure Backup enables you to create backup policies for Azure Virtual Machines. You can schedule daily, weekly, or custom backup frequencies:
• Backups can include the entire virtual machine or specific disks
• Backups are stored in recovery services vaults, which can be geo-redundant for enhanced durability
• Restore:
• You can restore the entire virtual machine or individual files and folders
• Azure Backup supports instant restores for virtual machines
Example: Azure Backup for Azure Virtual Machines:

1. Create a Recovery Services Vault:
   I. In the Azure portal, navigate to All services and select Recovery Services Vaults.
   II. Click on + Add to create a new Recovery Services Vault.
   III. Provide the required details, select your subscription, resource group, and region, and then click Review + create.
2. Configure Azure Backup for Azure Virtual Machines:
   I. Within the newly created vault, click on Backup and then + Backup.
   II. Set the workload to Virtual Machine.
   III. Choose the virtual machine you want to back up.
   IV. Configure the backup policy, including the backup frequency, retention range, and time.
3. Review and create the backup:
   I. Review your settings and click Enable Backup to start the initial backup.
4. Trigger a backup restore:
   I. To trigger a restore, go to the Backup items section in the vault.
   II. Select the virtual machine and click on Restore VM.
   III. Choose the restore point you want to recover.
   IV. Configure the restore settings, such as target resource group, virtual network, and so on.
5. Monitor and manage backups:
   I. Monitor the backup jobs and their status in the Backup items section.
   II. Review recovery points, backup jobs, and related metrics in the vault.
   Using the Azure CLI
   Here’s a simplified example of using the Azure CLI to initiate a backup:

# Create a Recovery Services Vaultaz backup vault create –resource-group YourResourceGroup –name YourRecoveryServicesVault –location YourLocation
# Enable backup for a VM

az backup protection enable-for-vm –vm YourVMName –policy-name DefaultPolicy –vault-name YourRecoveryServicesVault –resource-group YourResourceGroup

NOTE
Ensure you replace placeholders such as YourResourceGroup, YourRecoveryServicesVault, YourVMName, and so on with your actual resource group, vault name, virtual machine name, and so on.
This example illustrates the basic steps of setting up Azure Backup for Azure Virtual Machines through the Azure portal and using the Azure CLI for automation. The service provides flexibility in managing backup policies and restoring virtual machines based on specific recovery points:
• Azure Backup for databases:
• Backup:
• Azure Backup supports backup for various databases, including Azure SQL Database, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and more
• Backup policies can be configured for automatic backups
• Restore:
• PITRs are supported for databases
• Cross-region restores for geo-redundancy are available
Let’s walk through an example of using Azure Backup for databases, focusing on Microsoft Azure SQL Database, and demonstrate using the Azure CLI.
Example: Azure Backup for databases (Azure SQL Database):

1. Create a Recovery Services Vault:
   I. In the Azure portal, navigate to All services and select Recovery Services Vaults.
   II. Click on + Add to create a new Recovery Services Vault.
   III. Provide the required details, select your subscription, resource group, and region, and then click Review + create.
2. Configure Azure Backup for Azure SQL Database:
   I. Within the newly created vault, click on Backup and then + Backup.
   II. Set the workload to Azure SQL Database.
   III. Choose the Azure SQL Database you want to back up.
   IV. Configure the backup policy, including the backup frequency, retention range, and time.
3. Review and create a backup:
   I. Review your settings and click Enable Backup to start the initial backup.