The Contoso IT team wants to control its backup strategy. It can use the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) agent to configure this strategy. The team can specify when to take snapshots of its data to create recovery points, as well as how long to retain those points.

What is the MARS Agent?

Azure Backup uses the MARS agent to back up files, folders, and system state from local machines and Azure virtual machines. These backups are stored in a Recovery Services vault in Azure. You can run the agent directly on local Windows machines, which can back up directly to an Azure vault. You can also back up Azure VMs running Windows alongside the Azure VM backup extension. The agent backs up specific files and folders on the VM.

Installing the MARS Agent

You can download the MARS agent directly from the Azure portal by following these steps:

1. In your Recovery Services vault, under Getting Started, select Backup.
2. Under Where is your workload running?, select On-premises. Choose this option even if you want to install the MARS agent on an Azure VM.
3. Under What do you want to back up?, select Files and folders. You can also choose System state. Other options are available but only if you use a secondary backup server.
4. Select Prepare Infrastructure.
5. In the Install Recovery Services Agent section, download the MARS agent.
6. In the download menu, select Save. The file MARSagentinstaller.exe is automatically saved in your Downloads folder.
7. Select Already downloaded or using the latest version of the agent, then click Download to get the vault credentials.
8. Select Save. The file is downloaded to your Downloads folder. You cannot open it because it is neither an executable nor a text file.

Installing the MARS Agent on Your Computer

Run the MARSagentinstaller.exe file on the machines to be backed up and complete the registration process:

• In the MARS agent installation wizard, select Installation Settings.
• Choose where to install the agent and select a location for the cache, considering:
  • Azure Backup uses the cache to store snapshots before sending them to Azure.
  • The cache location must have free space equal to at least 5% of the size of the data to be backed up.
• After selecting the locations, click Next.
• For proxy configuration, specify how the agent will connect to the Internet:
  • If you use a custom proxy, provide the necessary settings and credentials.
  • The agent must have access to certain specific URLs.
• After selecting the connection method, click Next.
• For installation, verify prerequisites, then click Install.
• Once the agent is installed, click Proceed to Registration.
• In the registration wizard, on the Vault Identification page, browse and select the downloaded credentials file.
• Click Next.
• On the Encryption Settings page, specify a passphrase used to encrypt and decrypt backups:
  • Save this passphrase in a secure location. It is required to restore a backup.
  • If you lose or forget this passphrase, Microsoft cannot help you recover the data.
• Click Finish.

The agent is now installed and your machine is registered in the vault. You can now configure and schedule your backup.

Create a Backup Policy

To create a backup policy, follow these steps:

1. After downloading and registering the MARS agent, open its console (search for Microsoft Azure Backup on your machine).
2. Under Actions, select Schedule Backup.
3. In the wizard, select Getting Started, then click Next.
4. Under Select Items to Back Up, click Add Items.
5. In the selection box, choose the items to back up, then click OK.
6. On the next page, click Next.
7. On the Specify Backup Schedule page, indicate when to perform daily or weekly backups, then click Next:
   • A recovery point is created at each backup.
   • The number of points depends on the backup schedule.
   • You can schedule up to three backups per day.
   • Weekly backups are also possible.
8. On the Select Retention Policy page, specify how to retain historical copies:
   • Retention settings define which recovery points to keep and for how long.
   • For example, daily retention can keep the last recovery point for X days. Monthly retention can keep the point from the 30th day for 12 months.
9. After defining retention, click Next.
10. On the Choose Initial Backup Type page, choose whether to perform the initial backup over the network or offline. For a network backup, select Automatically over the network, then click Next.
11. On the Confirmation page, review the information, then click Finish.
12. Once the wizard is complete, click Close.

Create a Policy via the Azure Portal

You can also create a policy via the Azure portal. For example, the administrator selects Backup in the Operations section of a specific VM (here, ContosoVM1). They can click Create New Policy in the Choose Backup Policy section.

On the backup policy page, the administrator can define the following properties:

• Policy name
• Backup schedule
• Instant restore settings
• Retention range

Next unit: Restore Windows IaaS Virtual Machines