Learn how to set up Azure Recovery Services Vault Backup options

Setting up Azure Recovery Services Vault Backup Options involves configuring the vault, selecting backup policies, and enabling protection for specific workloads like Azure VMs or on-premises resources.

Here's a detailed step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Create a Recovery Services Vault

1. Access the Azure Portal:

2. Create the Vault:

   • Search for Recovery Services Vaults in the search bar and select it.

   • Click + Create.

   • Fill in the following:

     • Subscription: Select your Azure subscription.

     • Resource Group: Choose an existing resource group or create a new one.

     • Name: Provide a unique name for the vault.

     • Region: Select the Azure region where the vault will be located.

   • Click Review + Create, and then click Create.

3. Access the Vault:

   • Once the vault is created, go to its overview page.

Step 2: Configure Backup Options

1. Set the Vault’s Storage Replication:

   • Navigate to the Settings section and select Properties.

   • Under Backup Configuration, choose:

     • Locally Redundant Storage (LRS): Data is replicated within the same region.

     • Geo-Redundant Storage (GRS): Data is replicated across regions for disaster recovery.

2. Define Backup Policies:

   • Go to Backup Policies under the Settings section.

   • Click + Add to create a new backup policy.

   • Configure:

     • Backup Frequency:

       • For Azure VMs: Daily or weekly backups.

       • For SQL or file shares: Configure incremental backups.

     • Retention Period:

       • Define how long you want to keep daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly backups.

   • Save the policy.

Step 3: Enable Backup for a Resource

For Azure Virtual Machines

1. Navigate to Backup:

   • In the Recovery Services Vault, select Backup from the left-hand menu.

   • For Where is your workload running?, select Azure.

   • For What do you want to back up?, select Azure Virtual Machine.

2. Select VMs:

   • Use the resource selector to choose one or more Azure VMs to protect.

   • Assign the backup policy you created earlier.

3. Enable Backup:

   • Click Enable Backup to start protecting the selected VMs.

   • The initial backup will be triggered based on the schedule in your backup policy or manually if you choose to run it immediately.

For On-Premises Resources

1. Install the Azure Backup Agent:

   • Download and install the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services Agent (MARS) on the on-premises machine.

   • During setup, register the server with the Recovery Services Vault.

2. Define Backup Schedule:

   • Use the MARS agent to configure the backup schedule and retention settings.

3. Initiate Backup:

   • The initial backup will be performed based on the defined schedule.

For Azure Files

1. Choose Backup Options:

   • Select the Azure file shares from your storage account.

   • Assign a backup policy with the desired schedule and retention.

2. Enable Backup:

   • Configure the file shares to start backups.

Step 4: Monitor Backup Jobs

1. Check Backup Status:

   • In the Recovery Services Vault, go to Backup Jobs under the Monitoring section.

   • View the status of all ongoing and completed backup jobs.

2. Set Alerts:

   • Use Azure Monitor to configure alerts for failed or incomplete backups.

Step 5: Restore Backup Data

If recovery is needed, you can restore from the Recovery Services Vault:

For Azure VMs

• Navigate to Backup Items > Azure Virtual Machine.

• Select the VM and choose a recovery point to restore.

• Options:

  • Restore VM: Create a new VM using the selected recovery point.

  • Restore Disks: Restore OS or data disks to create a new VM or attach to an existing one.

For On-Premises Data

Use the MARS agent to restore files or folders from the vault to the original or alternate location.

Best Practices

1. Use GRS for Critical Workloads: Ensure high availability for critical backups.

2. Enable Soft Delete: Protect against accidental deletions.

3. Test Recovery Scenarios: Regularly test restore operations to ensure reliability.

4. Monitor Backup Trends: Use Azure Backup Reports to analyze usage and optimize costs.

5. Tag Resources: Use tags for backup resources to manage and organize them effectively.

Summary

By following these steps, you'll have a robust backup solution in place using Azure Recovery Services Vault.