Azure Backup

Azure Backup is a cloud-based backup service from Microsoft, part of the Azure cloud platform. It addresses the need to protect data and workloads against accidental deletion, corruption, ransomware and disasters without the cost and complexity of maintaining traditional backup infrastructure such as tape libraries and dedicated backup servers. Azure Backup’s approach is to deliver backup as a managed service in which data is transferred to and stored in Azure, with incremental backups that capture only changes after the initial copy, reducing storage and network consumption. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and centralised management through the Azure portal lets organisations define policies, monitor jobs and restore data across a wide range of environments from a single place.

Key capabilities include backup of Azure virtual machines, Azure Files, Azure Blob storage, managed disks, SQL Server and SAP HANA databases running in Azure VMs, Azure Database for PostgreSQL and Azure Kubernetes Service. For on-premises environments, the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services agent protects files and folders, while Microsoft Azure Backup Server and System Center Data Protection Manager support Hyper-V, VMware, SQL Server, Exchange and SharePoint workloads. Backup Center and Business Continuity Center provide consolidated monitoring and governance, and Azure Policy can enforce backup compliance. Security features include soft delete, immutable vaults, multi-user authorisation for critical operations and role-based access control, helping defend against ransomware. Storage redundancy options range from locally redundant to geo-redundant, and cross-region restore supports disaster recovery. Pricing is based on the number and size of protected instances plus storage consumed. Azure Backup is used by organisations of all sizes running workloads in Azure or hybrid environments, including enterprises, public-sector bodies and managed service providers. Pricing starts from around USD 5, typically per protected instance per month plus storage; there is no free trial and no free version in this listing.