Azure Backup provides simple, secure, and cost-effective solutions to back up your data and restore it from the Azure cloud.

Before You Begin

Here’s what you need to do:

• Make sure you have an Azure account if you need to back up a server or client to Azure. If you don’t have an account, you can create one for free in just a few minutes.
• Verify that the machines to be backed up have Internet access.
• Ensure that the user installing and configuring the MARS agent has local administrator rights on the server to be protected.

Modify Storage Replication

By default, vaults use GRS (geo-redundant storage). If the vault is your primary backup mechanism, it is recommended to keep GRS. You can use LRS (locally redundant storage) to reduce Azure storage costs.

To change the replication type:

1. In the new vault, under Settings, select Properties.
2. On the Properties page, under Backup Configuration, click Update.
3. Select the storage replication type, then click Save.

Download, Install, and Register the MARS Agent

Download the MARS agent to install it on the machines to be backed up. If the agent is already installed, make sure you are using the latest version. You can find it in the Azure portal or download it directly.

Then, run the MARSagentinstaller.exe file on the machines to be backed up and complete the registration process.

Run an On-Demand Backup

You can start a backup at any time. To perform an on-demand backup:

1. In the MARS agent, select Back Up Now.
2. If the agent version is 2.0.9169.0 or later, you can set a custom retention date. In the Keep Backup Until section, choose a date from the calendar.
3. On the Confirmation page, review the settings, then click Back Up.
4. Click Close to exit the wizard. If you close it before the backup finishes, it will continue in the background.
5. Once the initial backup is complete, the status Job Completed appears in the backup console.

Restore Files on Windows Server with the MARS Agent

There are two main methods to restore files using the MARS agent:

Use Azure Instant Restore to restore data on the same machine

If you accidentally deleted a file and want to restore it on the same machine:

1. Open the Microsoft Azure Backup add-on. If you don’t know where it is installed, search for Microsoft Azure Backup on the computer or server. The desktop app should appear in the results.
2. Select Recover Data to launch the wizard.
3. On the Getting Started page, to restore data on the same server or computer, select This Server, then click Next.
4. On the Select Recovery Mode page, choose Individual Files and Folders, then click Next.

Select Volume and Date

Select the volume containing the files and folders you want to restore.

On the calendar, select a recovery point. Bold dates indicate that at least one recovery point is available. If multiple points are available for the same date, choose the specific point from the Time dropdown.

After choosing the recovery point to restore, click Mount. Azure Backup mounts the recovery point locally and uses it as a recovery volume.

Browse and Recover Files

Select Browse to open File Explorer, then navigate to the files and folders you want to restore.

In Windows Explorer, copy the files and folders to restore, then paste them to any local location on the server or computer. You can open or read the files directly from the recovery volume and verify that you are restoring the correct versions.

When finished, on the Browse and Recover Files page, select Unmount, then click Yes to confirm that you want to unmount the volume.

Use Instant Restore to restore data on another machine

If your entire server is lost, you can still recover data from Azure Backup to another machine. To understand the steps, it is important to know the terms used:

• Source machine: the original machine from which the backup was taken, currently unavailable.
• Target machine: the machine to which the data is restored.
• Sample vault: the Recovery Services vault to which both the source and target machines are registered.

Steps to restore data to another machine

1. Open the Microsoft Azure Backup add-on on the target machine.
2. Make sure the target machine and source machine are registered in the same Recovery Services vault.
3. Select Recover Data.
4. In the wizard, on the Getting Started page, select Another Server.
5. Provide the vault credentials file corresponding to the sample vault, then click Next. Once the file is valid, the vault name appears.

On the Select Backup Server page, select the source machine from the list, provide the passphrase, and then click Next.
On the Select Recovery Mode page, choose Individual Files and Folders, and then click Next.
On the Select Volume and Date page, select the volume containing the files and folders to restore.
On the calendar, select a recovery point (bold dates = available points). If multiple points are available, choose the time from the dropdown menu.
Click Mount to locally mount the recovery point as a recovery volume on the target machine.
On the Browse and Recover Files page, click Browse to open Windows Explorer and locate the files and folders.
In Explorer, copy the files from the recovery volume and paste them to the desired location on the target machine. You can open or read the files directly to verify the versions.
When finished, on the Browse and Recover Files page, click Unmount, and then click Yes to confirm.

Next Unit: Manage Azure Virtual Machine Backups with Azure Backup Service