Recovery Services Vault is a feature of Microsoft Azure that provides a unified storage entity to manage backups and disaster recovery. While it is primarily designed for Azure environments, it can also be integrated with on-premises Windows Servers through Azure Backup. This integration is critical for ensuring data protection and business continuity in hybrid cloud environments. For Windows users, leveraging Azure Recovery Services Vault involves using the Azure Backup agent and Windows Server Backup to create and manage backups.

Examples:

1. Setting Up Azure Recovery Services Vault:

   • Step 1: Log in to the Azure portal.
   • Step 2: Navigate to "Recovery Services vaults" and click "Add."
   • Step 3: Fill in the required details (Name, Subscription, Resource group, and Location) and click "Create."

2. Installing the Azure Backup Agent on Windows Server:

   • Step 1: Download the Azure Backup agent from the Azure portal.
   • Step 2: Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
   • Step 3: Register the server with the Recovery Services vault by providing the vault credentials.

   # Example PowerShell command to download the Azure Backup agent
   Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://aka.ms/azurebackup_agent" -OutFile "MARSAgentInstaller.exe"
   Start-Process -FilePath ".\MARSAgentInstaller.exe" -ArgumentList "/quiet" -Wait

3. Configuring Backups Using Windows Server Backup:

   • Step 1: Open Windows Server Backup from the Server Manager.
   • Step 2: Select "Backup Schedule" to create a new backup schedule.
   • Step 3: Choose the items to back up and specify the backup destination.

   # Example PowerShell command to schedule a backup
   $backupPolicy = New-WBPolicy
   $volume = Get-WBVolume -VolumePath "C:\"
   Add-WBVolume -Policy $backupPolicy -Volume $volume
   Set-WBSchedule -Policy $backupPolicy -Schedule (Get-Date).AddHours(1)
   Set-WBPolicy -Policy $backupPolicy

4. Backing Up to Azure:

   • Step 1: Open the Microsoft Azure Backup console.
   • Step 2: Select "Schedule Backup" and follow the wizard to configure the backup.
   • Step 3: Choose the files/folders to back up and set the backup schedule.

   # Example PowerShell command to initiate a backup job
   Start-OBBackup -Policy (Get-OBPolicy)

5. Restoring Data from Azure:

   • Step 1: Open the Microsoft Azure Backup console.
   • Step 2: Select "Recover Data" and follow the wizard to restore the required files/folders.

   # Example PowerShell command to restore a backup
   $recoveryPoint = Get-OBRecoverableItem -VaultName "YourVaultName" -WorkloadType "FileFolder"
   Start-OBRecovery -RecoverableItem $recoveryPoint -DestinationPath "C:\RestoredData"