Recommend a backup and recovery solution for compute
5 minutes
5 Questions
When designing backup and recovery solutions for compute resources in Azure, architects must consider several key components to ensure business continuity. Azure offers multiple native services that provide comprehensive protection for virtual machines and compute workloads.
Azure Backup serves as…When designing backup and recovery solutions for compute resources in Azure, architects must consider several key components to ensure business continuity. Azure offers multiple native services that provide comprehensive protection for virtual machines and compute workloads.
Azure Backup serves as the primary recommendation for protecting Azure VMs. This service provides application-consistent backups, supports both Windows and Linux workloads, and offers centralized management through Recovery Services vaults. Configure backup policies that define retention periods ranging from daily snapshots to yearly archives based on compliance requirements.
For recovery point objectives (RPO), Azure Backup captures incremental snapshots, reducing storage costs while maintaining multiple recovery points. Instant restore capabilities allow VM recovery from local snapshots within minutes, addressing aggressive recovery time objectives (RTO).
Azure Site Recovery complements backup strategies by enabling disaster recovery across regions. This service replicates VMs to a secondary Azure region, providing failover capabilities during regional outages. Implement recovery plans that orchestrate the startup sequence of multi-tier applications.
For containerized workloads running on Azure Kubernetes Service, leverage Velero or Azure Backup for AKS to protect cluster configurations, persistent volumes, and application state. Ensure etcd backups are configured for cluster recovery scenarios.
Consider cross-region backup replication using geo-redundant storage (GRS) for Recovery Services vaults. This ensures backup data remains accessible even during regional failures. For mission-critical workloads, implement zone-redundant storage (ZRS) to protect against datacenter failures.
Establish regular testing protocols through recovery drills to validate backup integrity and document recovery procedures. Monitor backup jobs using Azure Monitor and configure alerts for failed backups.
Architects should also implement role-based access control for backup operations, enable soft delete to protect against accidental deletion, and utilize Azure Policy to enforce backup compliance across subscriptions. These combined strategies create a robust backup and recovery framework for compute resources.
Recommend a Backup and Recovery Solution for Compute
Why This Is Important
In cloud environments, compute resources such as virtual machines (VMs) host critical applications and data. Hardware failures, software corruption, accidental deletions, cyberattacks, and natural disasters can all lead to data loss or service interruption. A robust backup and recovery strategy ensures business continuity, minimizes downtime, and protects against data loss. For Azure Solutions Architects, understanding how to recommend appropriate backup solutions is essential for designing resilient architectures.
What Is Backup and Recovery for Compute?
Backup and recovery for compute refers to the processes and Azure services used to protect virtual machines, their disks, and associated data. This includes:
• Azure Backup - A unified backup solution that provides application-consistent backups for Azure VMs • Azure Site Recovery (ASR) - Disaster recovery service for replicating VMs to secondary regions • Snapshots - Point-in-time copies of managed disks • Recovery Services Vault - A storage entity that houses backup data and recovery points
How It Works
Azure Backup for VMs: 1. Create a Recovery Services vault in the target region 2. Define a backup policy specifying frequency and retention 3. Enable backup on VMs, which installs an extension 4. Azure takes application-consistent snapshots using VSS (Windows) or pre/post scripts (Linux) 5. Data is transferred to the vault with incremental backups
Azure Site Recovery: 1. Configure replication from source to target region 2. ASR continuously replicates VM data to the secondary region 3. During failover, VMs are brought online in the target region 4. Failback returns operations to the primary region after recovery
Key Concepts: • RPO (Recovery Point Objective) - Maximum acceptable data loss measured in time • RTO (Recovery Time Objective) - Maximum acceptable downtime • Instant Restore - Restores VMs from local snapshots in minutes • Cross-Region Restore - Enables restoration in paired regions for GRS vaults
Choosing the Right Solution
• Use Azure Backup for operational recovery scenarios like accidental deletion or corruption • Use Azure Site Recovery for disaster recovery requiring regional failover • Use Snapshots for quick, short-term recovery points before major changes • Combine both Azure Backup and ASR for comprehensive protection
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Backup and Recovery for Compute
1. Understand the scenario requirements - Look for keywords like RPO, RTO, regional failure, or accidental deletion to determine if the question requires backup, disaster recovery, or both
2. Azure Backup vs. Azure Site Recovery - If the question mentions protecting against regional outages or failover to another region, ASR is typically the answer. For protecting against data corruption or accidental deletion, Azure Backup is appropriate
3. Storage redundancy matters - GRS (Geo-Redundant Storage) enables cross-region restore; LRS is cheaper but regional only. Match redundancy to requirements
4. Recovery Services Vault location - The vault must be in the same region as the source VMs for Azure Backup
5. Application consistency - Azure Backup provides application-consistent backups; this is important for databases and transactional applications
6. Cost considerations - If the question emphasizes cost optimization, consider backup retention policies and storage tier selection
7. Instant Restore feature - When questions mention fast recovery or minimal RTO for recent backups, Instant Restore uses local snapshots for rapid VM restoration
8. Managed disk snapshots - For one-time or ad-hoc protection before changes, snapshots are sufficient and cost-effective
9. Cross-region scenarios - Enable Cross-Region Restore feature when secondary region access is required for compliance or DR testing