Chapter 7 Implement Azure Backup

This Chapter covers following

• Azure Backup
• Recovery services Vault
• Backup scenarios with Azure Backup
• Architecture of Azure Backup using Azure Backup Agent
• Architecture of Azure Backup using System Center Data Protection Manager
• Architecture of Azure Backup using Azure Backup Server
• Azure IaaS VM Backup
• Backup Reports

This Chapter Covers following Lab Exercises

• Create Recovery Services Vault
• Azure VM-level backup
• Restoring Azure VM-level backup
• Create Custom Backup Policy
• Associating Custom Policy with VM VMFE1 Backup Job
• Backup Files & Folder using Azure Backup Agent

Chapter Topology

In this chapter we will add Recovery Services Vault & Azure Backup to the Topology. We will backup System State of VM VMFE1 using Backup option in VMFE1 dashboard. This will Install Azure Backup Extension on VMFE1.

We will also install Azure Backup Agent in VM VMAD. This will backup files and folders on VMAD to Recovery Services Vault.

Azure Backup

Azure Backup is Backup as a service (BaaS) which you can use to backup and restore your data in Azure cloud.

You can backup both on Premises workloads and Azure workloads. Azure Backups are stored in Recovery Services Vault.

Advantage of Azure backup is that we don’t have to set up Backup infrastructure.

Feature of Azure Backup

• No backup infrastructure to setup. It uses pay-as-you-use model.
• Azure Backup manages backup storage scalability and high availability. Azure Recovery Services Vault offers unlimited Storage. For high availability, Azure Backup offers two types of replication: locally redundant storage and geo-redundant storage.
• Azure Backup supports incremental backup. Incremental backup transfers changes made since the last full backup.
• Data is encrypted for secure transmission between on-premises and Azure Cloud. The backup data is stored in the Recovery Services vault in encrypted form.
• Backups are compressed to reduce the required storage space in Vault.
• Azure Backup provides application-consistent backups, which ensured additional fixes are not needed to restore the data. Restoring application consistent data reduces the restoration time, allowing you to quickly return to a running state. This option is only available when we use either System Center DPM or Azure Backup server.

Recovery services Vault

A Recovery Services Vault is a storage entity in Azure that houses backup data.

You can use Recovery Services vaults to hold backup data for on-premises workload and for various Azure services such as IaaS VMs (Linux or Windows) and Azure SQL databases. Azure Backup offers two types of replication: locally redundant storage (LRS) and geo-redundant storage (GRS).

Backup scenarios with Azure Backup

Azure Backup provides 4 options to Backup on-premises and Cloud workloads - Azure Backup Agent, System Center DPM Server, Azure Backup Server and Azure IaaS VM Backup.

RSV : Recovery Services Vault.

Architecture of Azure Backup using Azure Backup Agent

Azure Backup agent backs up Windows server or Windows VM to Recovery Services Vault in Azure. Azure Backup Agent option can be used to backup both on-premises and cloud workloads.

Backup to Azure requires following components.
Recovery services Vault.
Azure Backup Agent.

Azure Backup Agent can backup following workloads

Files & Folders: Azure Backup agent backs up files and folders on Window server or Windows VM to Recovery Services Vault.

Windows System State

Backup Location

Backs up data to Recovery Services Vault in Azure. There is no option to backup Data locally.

Installing & Working of Azure Backup Agent

1. Create Recovery Services vault.
2. Download Backup Agent and Vault Credentials to the on Premises server by configuring the Backup goal in Recovery services vault dashboard.
3. Install Azure Backup Agent on the on Premises Server and register the server with Recovery Services vault using Vault credentials.
4. Schedule the backup by opening Azure backup agent in the on premises server and configuring the backup policy.

Architecture of Azure Backup using System Center DPM

Azure Backup using System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) option not only backs up workload to Azure Recovery Service Vault but backup is also available locally on disk as well as on tape. This option can be used to backup both on-premises and cloud workloads.

Backup to Azure requires following components

Recovery services Vault.
Azure backup agent.
System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM).

In this case backup agent will be installed on DPM server.

DPM can backup following workloads

Application-aware backup : Application-aware back up of Microsoft workloads, including SQL Server, Exchange, and SharePoint.

File backup : Back up files, folders and volumes for computers running Windows server and Windows client operating systems.

System backup : Back up system state or run full, bare-metal backups of physical computers running Windows server or Windows client operating systems.

Hyper-V backup : Back up Hyper-V virtual machines (VM) running Windows or Linux. You can back up an entire VM, or run application-aware backups of Microsoft workloads on Hyper-V VMs running Windows.

VMware VMs backup

DPM Backup Workload Locations

Disk : For short-term storage DPM backs up data to disk pools.

Azure Recovery Services Vault : For both short-term and long-term storage off-premises, DPM data stored in disk pools can be backed up to the Azure Recovery Services Vault using the Azure Backup service.

Tape : For long-term storage you can back up data to tape, which can then be stored offsite. This option is only available for on-premises workload.

Advantages of DPM backup

Backup is also available locally.
Linux VM backup.
Application Aware Backup.
Tape Backup option.

Architecture of Azure Backup using Azure Backup Server

This option is same as DPM option except for following 2 differences

1. Tape option is not there with Azure backup server.
2. You don’t have to pay license for Azure Backup server.

Backup to Azure requires following components

1. Recovery services Vault
2. Azure backup agent
3. Azure Backup Server

In this case backup agent will be installed on Azure Backup Server. Rest everything is same as discussed in Data protection Server in previous section.

Azure IaaS VM Backup

Azure IaaS VM Backup provides Native backups for Windows/Linux. This option can be used to backup Azure VMs only. The benefit of this option is that Backup option is built in VM dashboard.

Backup to Azure requires following components

1. Recovery services Vault.
2. Azure backup agent extension is automatically enabled when backup is enabled in the VM.

Azure IaaS VM Backup can backup following workloads

Full Azure Windows/Linux VM backup.
VM Disk Backups (Using Powershell).

Backup Location

Backs up data to Recovery Services Vault in Azure.

Azure IaaS VM Backup Working

The Backup service uses the VMSnapshotextension to backup workloads. The Backup service coordinates with the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to get a consistent snapshot of the virtual machine's disks. Once the Azure Backup service takes the snapshot, the data is transferred to the vault.

Exercise 76: Create Recovery Services Vault

1. In Azure Portal click create a resource> Storage> Backup and Site Recovery> Create Recovery Services Vault Blade opens> Enter a name, select RGCloud Resource Group, select region East US 2 and click create (Not Shown).

2. Figure below shows Dashboard of Recovery Services Vault.

Exercise 77: Azure VM-level backup

1. In Azure Portal go to VM VMFE1 dashboard

2. In left pane scroll down and Click Backup in left pane>Enable Backup blade opens> In right pane Select RSV created in Ex 76 and click enable backup.

3. The default policy is to take Backup at 10 PM. Figure below shows the Backup status. It shows initial backup pending. This first backup job creates a full recovery point. Each backup job after this initial backup creates incremental recovery points. Incremental recovery points are storage and timeefficient, as they only transfer changes made since the last backup.

4. To start Backup instead of waiting for default policy to kick in Click Backup now in top right pane>Backup Now Blade opens.

5. Click OK to start Backup now. You can monitor the Progress by Clicking View all Jobs in Right pane as shown in top figure. It shows backup job in progress.

6. Just keep refreshing the backup job pane. You can see initial backup job completed. It took 1.15 hours to complete.

7. You can also track progress of backup in Recovery Services Vault. Click Backup items in Recovery Services vault. It will show Backup for Various Types.

Click on Azure Virtual Machine and you can see backup Items for Azure VM.

Exercise 78: Restoring Azure VM-level backup

In this exercise we will just demonstrate Restoration operation. We will show options for creating new VM from backup and replacing Disks of existing VM with Restore point disks

1. Click Backup in VMFE1 Dashboard> Backup Pane opens. In right pane you can see option for Restore VM and File Recovery.

2. Click Restore VM in Right pane>Select your restore point>Click OK (Not Shown).

3. Restore Configuration pane. Here you have 2 options to Restore. Option 1 shown below is to create a new VM with the backup.

4. Second option in Restore Configuration pane is to replace disks in existing VM with disks from Restore points.

   As an exercise for the readers use option 1 to create a new VM.

Virtual Machine Backup Policy

A backup policy defines a matrix of when the data snapshots are taken, and how long those snapshots are retained. When defining a policy for backing up a VM, you can trigger a backup job once a day or weekly.

A default back policy is applied when you create Backup job. With Default Policy backup is taken at 2.30 PM and Backup is retained for 30 days.

You can create a Custom Policy according to your requirements. Custom policy can be created during backup job creation time or afterwards.

Exercise 79: Create Custom Backup Policy

1. Go Recovery Service Vault rsvportal dashboard>Click Backup Polices in left pane>Backup policy blade opens in Right Pane.

2. In Right pane Click +Add> Click Azure Virtual Machine>Create Policy blade opens> give a name and select Backup Frequency (Daily or weekly) and select retention of snapshots (daily, weekly, Monthly and Yearly). Selecting Weekly, Monthly and Yearly is optional>Click create.

3. Figure below shows TestPolicy created Successfully.

Exercise 80: Associating Custom Policy with VM VMFE1 Backup Job

In this exercise we will associate Custom Policy created in previous exercise with VM VMFE1 Backup job.

1. In Azure Portal go to VMFE1 dashboard> Click Backup in left pane. In right pane you can see a default backup policy is associated with Backup.

2. Click DefaultPolicy in right pane>Backup Policy blade opens>Choose TestPolicy from the dropdown box>Click save.

3. You can see in right pane that TestPolicy is applied to backup job.

Exercise 81: Backup Files & Folder using Azure Backup Agent

In this exercise we will backup Files & Folders of Azure VM VMAD using Azure Backup Agent option. Azure VM VMAD was created in Exercise 32, Chapter 2.

1. RDP into VM VMAD. Create a folder name test on the VMAD C Drive. Create an empty text file HelloWorld.txt in the test folder

2. In VMAD Open internet explorer and log on to Azure portal> Go to Recovery Services Vault Dashboard>Click Backup in left pane>Select on-premises and select Files and Folder.

3. Click Prepare Infrastructure>Prepare Infrastructure Blade opens.

4. Click Download Agent for Windows Server and download the exe file.

5. Check mark the Vault credential and click download.

6. On the VMAD VM double click MARSAgentInstaller.exe and start installation of the agent. At the end of installation click Proceed to Registration to register your on VMAD to Recovery Services Vault>Click Browse and upload Vault credential file downloaded in step 5.

7. In Encryption setting enter a passphrase or generate passphrase and specify the location to save passphrase. I specified C:>Click finish.

8. Microsoft Azure Backup Agent is installed and an icon shows on the desktop. 3 rd icon from top.

9. Create a Backup Schedule & Select Backup items . Open the Microsoft Azure Backup agent in VMAD>Click Action> Click schedule backup> Schedule Backup Wizard opens>Click Next> In Select Items to backup click Add items and select test folder created in step 2 and click ok> and for rest select all default values by clicking next> Click Finish>Click close.

10. To back up files and folders for the first time immediately >open Microsoft Azure Backup Agent>Action>Backup now>Select Files & Folder and click next>On confirmation page click back up (Not Shown)> Monitor the progress in agent console> Click close when backup is completed.

11. Once the backup is completed go the Recovery Services Vault RSVCloud Dashboard> Click Backup Items in left pane> Here you can see Backup Item Count against Azure Backup Agent.

12. Click Azure Backup Agent and and Backup Items pane opens and you can see the backup is complete.

Backup Reports

Azure Backup reports are supported for Azure virtual machine backup and Azure Recovery Services Backup Agent option.

Requirement for Creating Backup Reports

Azure Storage Account: Storage account is used to store reports-related data.

Power BI account: Power BI account is used to view, customize and create reports by using the Power BI portal.

Create Backup Reports

In Recovery Services Vault Dashboard click Backup Reports in left pane> Backup Report pane opens. Enable diagnostic settings and select logs according to your requirement. You have the option to view reports Graphically in Power BI.