Azure Backup is a service for backing up your data in Azure. You can back up Linux and Windows VMs running in Azure with Azure Backup as well as on-premises servers. Azure Backup can be used for more than just backing up machines but this lab focuses on VM backups.

You will use Azure Backup to back up a Windows Server VM running IIS in this lab. You will configure a backup schedule and retention periods using a backup policy. You will finish by restoring the VM back to an earlier state by performing a restore operation. Along the way you will learn the key concepts of Azure Backup.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this lab you will be able to:

• Back up and restore virtual machines running in Azure
• Configure backup policies to schedule backups and define data retention periods
• Understand how snapshots are created using an Azure Backup VM extension
• Evaluate the different options available for restoring including in-place instant restores, restore to disks, and restore to new VMs
• Describe the default consistency level for Windows and Linux VMs in Azure Backup

Intended Audience

This lab is intended for:

• Azure administrators
• AZ-104 exam candidates
• Anyone responsible for backup and retention of virtual machines

Prerequisites

You should be familiar with:

• Azure VM and Storage Account basics

Updates

October 31st, 2024 - Updated screenshots and instructions to match UI

May 31st, 2022 - Updated screenshots and instructions to match UI

September 17th, 2021 - Updated instructions to reflect the latest portal VM backup and restore experience

March 1st, 2021 - Added more uniqueness to the vault name to avoid an issue where Azure does not properly validate the name uniqueness causing the deployment to fail