Ensuring fast and reliable data recovery is more important than ever. That's where Instant Recovery Snapshots come into play. But what exactly are they, and how do they maximize critical data protection?
Instant recovery snapshots in Azure capture the state of a virtual machine or managed disk at a given time, designed to allow quick and easy restoration of data. Unlike traditional backups, these snapshots capture the state of the system or data at a specific moment, enabling near-instant recovery if something goes wrong.
π° Instant Recovery Point: Snapshots taken during a backup job are stored directly with the disk for quick recovery. This eliminates the need to wait for snapshots to transfer to the vault before starting recovery.
π° In-Place Recovery: Instant Recovery allows users to overwrite data on the original disk, rather than creating a new copy in a different location. This is especially helpful for rolling back patches. Once snapshots are complete, users can recover using local snapshots if an issue arises with the patch.
π° Flexible Snapshot Retention: Users can set snapshot retention periods at the backup policy level, based on the recovery needs of their VMs. Retention periods apply to all VMs under the policy and can range from 1 to 5 days, with a default of 2 days.
Way 1. Using Azure portal to change instant restore
1. Go to the Azure Portal.
2. Navigate to VM Backup Policy pane.
* For a weekly policy with a standard policy, you can configure Azure instant recovery snapshot maximum retention period for 5 days, and the default value is usually set to 2 days. * The snapshot retention for the enhanced policy can vary between 5 and 20 days.
Way 2. Using PowerShell to configure instant restore
From Az PowerShell version 1.6.0 onwards, you can update the instant restore snapshot retention period in policy using PowerShell.
$MyPolicy = Get-AzRecoveryServicesBackupProtectionPolicy -WorkloadType "AzureVM" $MyPolicy.SnapshotRetentionInDays=4 Set-AzRecoveryServicesBackupProtectionPolicy -policy $MyPolicy
Q: What’s the difference between Azure Backup and Snapshots?
A: Snapshots are for short-term, point-in-time recovery, while Azure Backup is designed for long-term data retention.
Q: Can I automate the creation of Azure snapshots?
A: Yes, Azure PowerShell, CLI, and automation tools like Azure Logic Apps can be used to schedule and automate snapshots.
Q: Do snapshots affect the performance of Azure VMs?
A: Minimal performance impact may occur during snapshot creation, especially during peak hours, but it's usually negligible.
Q: How secure are Azure snapshots?
A: Azure snapshots are secure, with built-in encryption and role-based access control (RBAC) to prevent unauthorized access.
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Step 1. Navigate to Task > Instant Recovery > + New Instant Recovery, and choose Restore from task.
Step 2. Choose the virtual machine and backup version in Source.
Step 3. Choose the target device in the Restore to section.
Step 4. Set the hardware settings for the new virtual machine, including CPU quantity, CPU Cores, and memory size.
Step 5. Click Start Restore to start the instant recovery.
Step 6.Click Start Migration to restore the virtual machine to the production environment after the production environment resumes normal.
Instant recovery snapshots in Azure offer a fast, efficient, and scalable solution for protecting your cloud data. While not a substitute for regular backups, they play a critical role in ensuring quick recovery and business continuity.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your snapshot retention periods protecting critical data.