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Azure Backup

Simplify data protection and protect against ransomware

Simplify data protection with built-in management at scale

Azure Backup is a cost-effective, secure, one-click backup solution that’s scalable based on your backup storage needs. The centralized management interface makes it easy to define backup policies and protect a wide range of enterprise workloads, including Azure Virtual Machines, SQL and SAP databases, and Azure file shares.

Centralized management

Monitor, operate, govern, and optimize data protection at scale in a unified and consistent manner using Backup Center.

Application consistency

Back up and restore data from virtual machines with application consistency in Windows using Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and in Linux with pre- and post- processing scripts.

Multi-workload support

Back up Azure Virtual Machines, on-premises servers, SQL Server and SAP HANA on Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Files, and Azure Database for PostgreSQL.

Durable storage options

Store your backups in locally redundant storage (LRS), geo-redundant storage (GRS), and zone-redundant storage (ZRS).

Manage backup data at scale

  • Natively manage your entire backup estate from a central console using Backup Center.
  • Automatically onboard and configure Azure Backup on production virtual machines (VMs) using Azure AutomanagePREVIEW.
  • Use APIs, PowerShell, and Azure CLI to automate Backup policy and security configurations.

Learn more about Backup Center

Secure your backups

  • Protect against ransomware by enabling multifactor authentication using a security PIN generated in the Azure portal.
  • Fully control how you protect and access your data with customer-managed keys that use 256-bit AES encryption.
  • Ensure recovery of items with no data loss for up to 14 days after an unauthorized deletion by enabling soft delete.
  • Create private endpoints within your Azure Virtual Network to securely back up and restore data from your Recovery Services vaults.

Explore security capabilities

Efficiently manage backups

  • Simplify workload protection with built-in backup capabilities and save time with one-click backup support for VMs, Azure file shares, SQL and SAP HANA databases, and Azure Database for PostgreSQL.
  • Manage resources through the Azure portal, Azure SDK, and Azure CLI, and across vaults, subscriptions, and tenants.
  • Ensure database-consistent snapshots for Oracle and MySQL databases running on Linux VMs in Azure.

Watch the video

Reduce your costs

  • Eliminate the need for tape or offsite backup.
  • Get cost-effective short- and long-term retention of backup data.
  • Restore SQL Database, individual files, folders, and VMs in Azure or on-premises at no additional cost.
  • Selectively back up disks within a VM to tailor your backup needs.
  • Use the Optimize tab in Backup reports to rightsize backup storage for significant cost savings.
  • Estimate and compare costs using the Backup pricing estimator.

Why trust Azure Backup?

Learn more about security on Azure

Backup resources

Documentation

Videos

Learn

Get started with Backup in three steps

Create your Azure free account.

Start using Backup.

Explore the documentation.

How our customers are using Backup

Food producer innovates faster in Azure

Smithfield Foods, a USD15 billion business, quickly migrated hundreds of applications to Azure, then used Azure Backup to back up data both on-premises and in Azure.

Smithfield Foods

SDSU cuts storage costs by backing up to Azure

"As we shift from our on-premises cloud to public cloud, we'll spend even less time operating that storage backup and compute infrastructure, and more time focusing on more important business needs."

Tom Voss, IT Operations Manager, San Diego State University
San Diego State University

Dutch cities unload the burden of backing up data

Three municipalities in the Netherlands consolidated their IT infrastructures on Azure and used Backup for coverage.

Duo

Executive advisory firm moves backups to the cloud

"We don't have to worry about managing space on expensive, purpose-built backup storage systems. We have no tape costs, management costs, nothing. Backup is dramatically cheaper with Azure."

Sean DeLessio, Lead Engineer, Distributed Infrastructure Team, Russell Reynolds
Russell Reynolds Associates

UK municipality backs up workloads to Azure

Somerset backed up 2,790 system streams—including VMware virtual machines and Microsoft SQL Server databases—with Backup, producing a six-digit cost savings.

Somerset County Council

Mining company protects SAP workload in the cloud

Rio Tinto runs SAP in an Azure infrastructure as a service (IaaS) environment, including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Virtual Network, Azure Storage, and Azure Backup.

Rio Tinto

Frequently asked questions about Backup

  • Backup supports Azure Virtual Machines, SQL workloads, and on-premises VMware machines. See a full list of supported resources.
  • A Recovery Services vault is a storage entity in Azure that houses data, including data copies and configuration information, for virtual machines, workloads, servers, and workstations.
  • Yes, Backup provides role-based access control, including built-in contributor, operator, and reader roles, to control cloud backup management operations.
  • Both Backup and Site Recovery support backup and disaster recovery. Backup is designed specifically to back up and restore data, while Site Recovery is designed to perform seamless application disaster recovery.

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