Hand-on – step-by-step guide to restore your virtual machines backup

Restoring a virtual machine (VM) backup in Azure involves using the Recovery Services Vault to retrieve data from a recovery point. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Access the Recovery Services Vault

1. Log in to the Azure Portal:

2. Open the Recovery Services Vault:

   • Navigate to the vault where your VM backup is stored.

   • Go to Backup Items > Azure Virtual Machine.

Step 2: Select the VM to Restore

1. Locate the VM:

   • In the Azure Virtual Machine section, select the VM you want to restore.

2. Choose a Recovery Point:

   • Click Restore VM.

   • Select a recovery point based on the date and type:

     • Crash-Consistent: Ensures the VM's state is consistent at the time of backup.

     • Application-Consistent: Captures the state of running applications (requires extensions).

Step 3: Choose the Restore Type

You have two primary options for this.

1. Restore a New VM

1. Select Create new virtual machine.

2. Configure the following:

   • Resource Group: Select an existing one or create a new one.

   • Virtual Network: Specify the network to connect the restored VM.

   • VM Name: Provide a unique name for the new VM.

3. Click Restore to start creating a new VM using the selected recovery point.

2. Restore Disks Only

1. Select Restore Disks.

2. Specify the storage account where the restored disks will be saved.

3. Use the restored disk to:

   • Attach it to an existing VM.

   • Create a new VM from the disk using the Azure Portal, PowerShell, or CLI.

Step 4: Monitor the Restore Job

1. Check Job Status:

   • In the vault menu, go to Backup Jobs.

   • Monitor the restore operation until it completes.

2. Verify the Restored VM/Disks:

   • Once the restore job finishes, verify that the VM or disks are operational.

Step 5: Optional Post-Restore Steps

1. Reconfigure Networking:

   • If restoring a new VM, update the virtual network settings as needed.

   • Reattach the restored VM to any load balancers or NSGs (if applicable).

2. Attach Disks:

   • If you restored only disks, attach them to a new or existing VM.

3. Test Applications:

   • Test that the restored VM or disks meet your recovery requirements.

Key Considerations During Restoration

1. Consistency Levels: Application-consistent recovery points are ideal for database servers or applications requiring transaction consistency.

2. Region Constraints: Restore operations are typically limited to the same region as the backup unless geo-redundant storage is used.

3. Resource Availability: Ensure enough resources (compute, network, and storage) are available in the target region for the restored VM.

Summary of Restore Scenarios

By following these steps, you can efficiently restore Azure VMs to their backed-up state, ensuring minimal downtime and data integrity.