Azure VM Backup using Azure Recovery Service Vault

In this post I am going to go through setting up a weekly backup for VM’s using Azure Recovery Service Vault.

Recovery Services vaults protect:

• Azure Resource Manager-deployed VMs
• Classic VMs
• Standard storage VMs
• Premium storage VMs
• VMs running on Managed Disks
• VMs encrypted using Azure Disk Encryption
• Application consistent backup of Windows VMs using VSS and Linux VMs using custom pre-snapshot and post-snapshot scripts

To backup a single VM we can click on the VM and go to backup and configure the Recovery Vault. I want to add all my servers at one time so I will create Recovery Vault first.

Logon on to the Azure portal: https://portal.azure.com

Once logged on go to All Services > Recovery Services vaults

Once in Recovery Services vaults click create

Give the Recovery Vault a Name, assign a subscription, resource group and location.

Once the deployment has finished,  click on the newly create object. 

First thing I am going to set the backup configuration to locally-redundant as this is just for my Lab VM’s and it will save on cost.

Go to Manage > Backup Infrastructure and set to Locally-redundant.

I am going to create a custom policy as I only want to backup my test VM’s once a week. go to Manage > Backup policies and click Add.

Once in the new backup policy configure settings as required. I have set frequency to every sunday at 22:00 and set retention to 4 weeks backups. Click create once all settings are configured. 

The policy should now be available to assign to backup jobs. Next step is to setup the backup. Go to Getting started > backup

Select where the work load is running (Azure or on prem), I only want to backup my Azure Lab VM so I selected Azure. Next select backup type

• VM
• Azure File Share (in preview at the time of the post)
• SQL server in Azure VM (in preview at the time of the post)

Select the backup policy, I am using the policy created above. 

Next select the VM’s that will be backed up. 

Click enable backup to finish the config.

I will kick off a manual backup job to get an initial backup.

Click on backup Item > Azure Virtual Machine > Backup now

To view backup jobs go to Monitoring > Backup Jobs

Once the backup is complete, the option to run VM restore or file level recovery becomes available.