Protecting a Microsoft Azure VM

Topic

This article describes how to pair a new protected Microsoft Azure VM.

Environment

  • Datto Continuity for Microsoft Azure (DCMA)

Description

Supported operating systems

Datto Continuity for Microsoft Azure supports the following operating systems:

  • Windows 10/11 Multi-Session
  • Windows Server 2012R2 Datacenter
  • Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
  • Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
  • Windows Server 2022 Datacenter

Requirements

  • The Microsoft Azure VM agent must be present for the push install to function. If you are migrating existing VMs into Azure from on-prem,the Azure VM agent may not properly install. See Microsoft's Azure Virtual Machine Agent overview (external link) for more information.
  • For any error encountered during agent installation, check the Windows Event Logs for any corresponding events.
  • Visual C++ runtime must be up-to-date and fully-installed. If Visual C++ 2015 runtime is not up to date or not installed properly, this could prevent an install.
  • If you see errors related to the C++ runtime, reinstall the latest Visual C++ update.

Limitations

  • While there is now Multi-Session OS support, FSLogix profiles associated with these session hosts are NOT being backed up at this time.
  • Cloud virtualizations have limitations with AADDS (Azure Active Directory Domain Services )

Procedure

1. In the Datto Partner Portal, click the Status tab, then select BCDR Status from the drop-down menu.

2. Find your Cloud SIRIS on the BCDR Status page. if the system detects unprotected Microsoft Azure VMs that it can add to the appliance, you will see a Protect a System icon. Click the icon to continue.

Figure 1: The Protect a System icon on the BCDR Status page

3. In the pop-up window, select any additional VMs to protect. The Microsoft Azure Region and Subscription information will be locked to the options previously selected for other Protected Systems during device registration.

Check the box to Reboot VMs after installation to trigger a reboot with the paired system and ensure snapshots will complete successfully after the Datto Agent software has been installed. Then, click the PROTECT SYSTEM button. Once you have made your selections, click PROTECT SYSTEM to finish the process.

Figure 2: The Protect a System dialog box

The BCDR Status page will update to reflect the newly protected system. It's status will show as installing until the Datto Agent software finishes installing on the Azure VM. The system's first backup will begin shortly after installation completes.


Figure 3: The newly protected Microsoft Azure VM on the BCDR Status page

4. When the device finishes installing, reboot the Microsoft Azure VM. Once the reboot completes, your protected Microsoft Azure VMs will display in the Protected System column, and backups will begin.

Figure 4: The protected Microsoft Azure VM on the BCDR Status page

Manual Backup

DCMA automatically runs a backup every hour on a 24/7 schedule. You can also manually initiate a backup from the BCDR Status page. Click the kebab icon on the far right of the protected system listing and choose Start Backup from the menu.


Figure 5: Start Backup

Differential Merge Backup

Differential merge backups are a special type of backup that traverses the entire live backup dataset of the protected server, compares it to the protected system volumes, and backs up new changes.

It is not normally necessary to run differential merge backup, and they can take quite a bit longer than standard backups. However, manually initiating a differential merge can sometimes help resolve backup problems. They can be a good alternative to creating a new full backup as they offer the benefit of continuing the existing backup chain and require less space than a full backup.

You can run a differential merge backup in the same way as the manual backup outlined above. Click the kebab icon on the far right of the protected system listing and choose Start Diff Merge from the menu.


Figure 6: Start Diff Merge

Notes:

  • Differential Merge backups are more resource intensive on the Cloud SIRIS, so it is best to avoid forcing these for multiple agents simultaneously.
  • If you are having issues with backups, you can manually initiate a differential merge to attempt to resolve the issue. If it does not resolve the issue on the next backup, contact Datto Technical Support.

Additional resources