Perform Instant File Recovery on Azure VM

This features is currently under preview which called "Restore-as as Service". During our testing on Azure IaaS VM Backup, we found an option called "File Recovery (Preview). Instant Restore allow you to quickly mount recovery volumes, browse through it and recover items by simply copying from the recovery volumes to a destination of your choice.

To test this feature, remember to configure Azure IaaS VM Backup first. Refer to our previous post here:- http://www.ms4u.info/2017/04/configure-azure-iaas-vm-backup.html

Video Summary:-

• Execute File Recovery from Azure Portal
• Copy the script into a Virtual Machine
• Run the script
• Copy your files
• Unmount the disk after recovery

Limitation:-

• Need to download executable script, copy into VM and run it
• Dismount from Azure Portal.
• Limitation of recovery a files larger than 10GB. 

Configure Azure IaaS VM Backup

In this post, we will look on use Azure IaaS VM Backup to backup virtual machine resides on Microsoft Azure


Video Summary:-

• Create Azure Recovery Vault to store backup VM
• Configure Backup Policy to backup VM
• Set VMs to backup
• Configure policy and set retention daily, weekly, monthly & yearly
• Execute to perform backup (manually)

Advantages:-

• protect & recover VM on Microsoft Azure natively
• Support backup Windows/Linux VM
• able to restore entire virtual machine
• able to restore virtual disk
• able to perform file recovery by mounting to VM. (under preview during our testing)

Limitation:-
a) Unable to delete previous policy unless stop Backup
b) Unable to modify policy that has configure
c) Only store to Azure backup vault
d) No compression/deduplication functionality

Configure Azure Backup Agent (MARS Agent)

In this post, we are looking on how to use Azure Backup Agent (MARS Agent) on Windows workload.



Video summary:-

• Get the installer from Azure Recovery Service Vault
• Select On-premise & Files & Folder to backup
• Install on Windows workload either on-premise or Azure Windows VM
• Register to Azure Recovery Service Vault
• Get Encrypted Key
• Configure Backup Policy to backup
• Start backup

Limitation of this product:-

• Only protect Windows workload
• Backup only Files / Folder
• Volume level restore only
• Not supported application aware processing
• Backup 3x per day for daily policy
• Backup target must point to Azure Backup Vault

Access Nano Server to Disable Windows Firewall

We are going to temporary disable Windows Firewall on Nano Server.

To start with:-
1. Open Powershell ISE with elevated right (run as administrator)
2. Set the trusted host

Set-Item WSMan:\LocalHost\Client\TrustedHosts "192.168.0.208" 

#Above ip is Nano Server IP 

Set-Item WSMan:\LocalHost\Client\TrustedHosts *

3. Start the session

Enter-PSSession –ComputerName "192.168.0.208" -Credential ~\Administrator

Enter your credential


4. To disable the Windows firewall, enter
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off

To enable back,
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on

5. To exit the session

Exit-PSSession