Back up Linux virtual machines running mission-critical workloads | Azure Blog and Updates

As organizations proceed to embrace Linux, we see a rising variety of enterprises working enterprise and mission-critical workloads on Linux digital machines in Azure. Azure Backup service gives software constant backup of Linux digital machines in Azure to safeguard towards unintended destruction of knowledge in your digital machines. Azure Backup additionally has a specialised providing for SAP HANA that’s workload-aware, gives a 15 minute restoration level goal (RPO), and permits the backup and restore of particular person databases. As a part of our continued dedication to Linux: 

• Azure Backup has a number of enhancements to agent-based software constant backup of Linux digital machines together with software constant backups for digital machines working Oracle and OSS databases, backup for a large variety of Linux distributions and huge digital machine configurations that run mission-critical workloads, versatile restore choices to fulfill a wide range of RTO necessities, andcCost optimization choices for Azure Digital Machine backup utilizing selective disk backup.
• For situations the place agent-based answer isn’t possible or appropriate, Azure Backup gives Azure Disk Backup, an agent-less crash constant backup for Azure Managed Disks with the flexibility to configure a number of backups per day, with out impacting manufacturing software efficiency.
• For mission-critical workloads saving their information to a completely managed database, Azure Backup for Azure Database for PostgreSQL gives long-term retention of backups.
• Moreover, Azure Backup gives enterprise-grade safety and governance capabilities that assist enterprises meet their information safety objectives.

Agent primarily based backup for Linux digital machines working mission-critical functions

Clients run database workloads, buyer relationship administration (CRM), enterprise useful resource planning (ERP), Massive Information workloads, and exterior dealing with line of enterprise functions on digital machines. Such workloads want particular backup capabilities like larger hardware configurations, and quicker restores for bigger databases along with the flexibility to entry throughout all outages. Azure Backup achieves all of the above by offering the next:

• Backup for Database workloads – Along with offering backup for SAP HANA database, Azure Backup supplies backup of Oracle and OSS Database working on Linux digital machines in Azure. Clients working database workloads on Linux digital machines can now get database constant snapshots. That is achieved by pre and publish scripts out-of-the-box for these databases supplied by Azure Backup. Clients don’t require to obtain, set up, or write automation scripts however merely want to point the database sort together with log-on credentials for the database. These scripts are printed by Microsoft by GitHub and will probably be supported by Microsoft for all prospects.

Key advantages embrace:

• Trouble-free expertise in configuring application-consistent backup of database workloads working on Linux digital machines.
• Possession and upkeep of scripts offered by Azure Backup.
• Prompt restore characteristic of Azure Digital Machine Backup to rapidly restore or create copies of manufacturing information to check environments from the backup.

This characteristic is presently in preview, please attain out to us if you’re involved in attempting it out. To be taught extra, confer with the documentation.

• Backup for big digital machine configurations – Along with supporting a big selection of Linux distributions endorsed by Azure, with Azure Backup you possibly can configure backup for digital machines with as much as 32 hooked up managed disks and a big disk measurement of as much as 32 TB.  Now you can backup M sequence digital machines containing a write accelerator disk that runs low latency, and excessive transaction workloads like Oracle, SAP HANA, and so on. For extra particulars, please refer the help matrix.
• Versatile restore choices – Clients can restore to switch the supply digital machine or create a brand new digital machine from the backup. Other than these choices, prospects can select to revive particular information and folders from the backup as an alternative of restoring all the digital machine. For mission-critical workloads that demand excessive availability of backup information, buyer can carry out cross area restore within the secondary area within the occasion of a partial or full outage. Most occasions, prospects restore from the newest backup as a consequence of an incorrect deployment or corruption of knowledge. On this case, prospects can carry out an on the spot restore from the current backup that provides fast restoration time. You may confer with the entire out there restore choices within the documentation.
• Price optimization – Utilizing the selective disk backup characteristic, you possibly can again up a subset of the information disks in a digital machine offering an economical backup answer. Whereas configuring safety of the digital machine, you possibly can select to exclude or embrace sure information disks within the digital machine from being protected. You’re going to get price saving on the protected occasion payment whenever you go for the OS disk solely backup possibility. Backup storage price is calculated primarily based solely on the included disks, so that you get to save lots of on the storage price. To additional optimize your backup price, learn the weblog publish on 5 methods to optimize your backup prices with Azure Backup.

Agent-less backup for Linux workloads

Azure Disk Backup gives a turnkey answer that gives a snapshot lifecycle administration for managed disk by automating the periodic creation of snapshots and retaining it for configured period utilizing the Backup coverage. You may simply handle the disk snapshots with zero infrastructure price and with out the necessity for customized scripting or any administration overhead. This can be a crash-consistent backup answer that takes time limit backup of a managed disk utilizing incremental snapshots with the flexibility to configure a number of backups per day. Furthermore, it’s an agent-less answer and doesn’t affect manufacturing software efficiency. You may backup and restore each OS and information disk (together with shared disk), no matter whether or not or not they’re presently hooked up to a working Azure Digital Machine.

Key advantages embrace:

• Extra frequent  and fast backups with out interrupting the digital machine.
• Does not have an effect on the efficiency of the manufacturing software.
• No safety issues, because it doesn’t require working customized scripts or putting in brokers.
• Price-effective answer to backup particular disk.

You should use agent-less crash constant Azure Disk Backup within the following Linux workloads situations the place the agent-based software constant Azure Digital Machine backup isn’t appropriate or possible.

• Commerce-off as a consequence of safety and efficiency of the manufacturing workload: In case your are executing customized pre and publish scripts and invoking freeze and thaw on Linux digital machine to get application-consistent backup, this places undue overhead on manufacturing workload availability. Or your group or trade regulation restricts putting in brokers as a consequence of safety issues.
• Linux cluster utilizing Azure shared disk: Azure shared disk is a brand new characteristic for Azure managed disk that permits you to connect a disk to a number of digital machines concurrently. Workloads deployed onto Linux digital machines cluster write the information to a shared storage like shared disk. Utilizing Azure Disk Backup, you possibly can configure safety for the shared disk.
• Backup the persistent volumes of Kubernetes cluster: Containerized functions working on a self-managed Kubernetes cluster or Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) cluster use Azure Managed Disk as persistent storage. At this time, it’s a must to again up the managed disk by way of automation scripts which can be arduous to handle.
• Price environment friendly backup possibility for Linux digital machines: You will have a number of Linux digital machines with a single disk (i.e., a digital machine with simply OS disk and no information disk hooked up) which can be state-less machines say, hosts Webserver or, serves because the staging atmosphere with software configuration settings. You should use Azure Disk Backup as a cost-efficient backup answer to guard the OS disk. You may set off a fast on-demand backup earlier than upgrading or patching the digital machine or restore from backup to reset the staging atmosphere after a test-run.
• Unsupported Linux digital machines configuration: Linux digital machines that’s unsupported by an Azure Digital Machine backup, as a result of it makes use of unendorsed Linux distribution, 32-bit working system, Linux firewall equipment, bring-your-own Linux digital machine pictures during which Azure Digital Machine agent for Linux isn’t put in or Python isn’t put in. On this case, you should utilize Azure Disk Backup as alternate answer.

In the event you require an application-consistent backup of a digital machine together with the information disk(s), or the choice to revive all the digital machine from backup, then use the Azure Digital Machine backup answer. Azure Backup gives side-by-side help for backup of managed disks utilizing Azure Disk Backup in addition to Azure Digital Machine backup options. That is helpful the place you want a once-a-day software constant backup of a digital machine and moreover, extra frequent backups of OS disk or a selected information disk which can be crash constant and doesn’t affect the manufacturing software efficiency.

Study extra about Azure Disk Backup.

Lengthy-term backup of Azure Database for PostgreSQL

Clients working Linux workloads on Azure use absolutely managed OSS database like Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Azure Database for MySQL, and so on. because it gives nearly no administrative overhead, and permits you to deal with fast software improvement and accelerating time to market. Azure Database for PostgreSQL natively gives retention as much as 35 days. Azure Backup gives retention past 35 days for these workloads saving software state and information on Azure Database for PostgreSQL that wants long run retention of backup to fulfill the compliance or regulatory necessities. For extra data refer the documentation.

Enterprise grade security to guard backups

Mission-critical functions deal with delicate information that always wants to be guarded to guard towards numerous information loss situations and malicious assaults, in addition to to remain compliant with regulatory and IT insurance policies.

• Backup encrypted digital machines – Azure Backup helps the backup of digital machines which have disks encrypted at relaxation utilizing platform managed keys (PMK) in addition to these encrypted utilizing buyer managed keys (CMK) and digital machines encrypted utilizing guest-based Azure Disk Encryption (ADE).
• Encrypting backup information – Along with encrypting the supply digital machine, prospects can select to encrypt their backup information utilizing customer-managed keys saved within the Azure Key Vault. By default, Azure Backup encrypts all of the backup information utilizing platform-managed keys.
• Safe backup information throughout transport – Azure Backup makes use of transport layer safety to guard the privateness of backup information being transferred. Transport layer safety (TLS) is an encryption protocol that retains information safe when being transferred over a community.
• Smooth delete – Azure backup supplies smooth delete for digital machines to guard their backups from unintended deletion. Even after the backups are deleted, they’re preserved in a soft-delete state for 14 further days giving the extra stage of security and resiliency freed from price.

All communication and information switch occurs solely on the Azure spine community and web connectivity isn’t required to backup an Azure Digital Machine. Study extra about safety features in Azure Backup.  

Azure Backup service supplies easy, safe, and cost-effective options to again up your information and recuperate it from Microsoft Azure. When you have suggestions or backup necessities to guard your Linux workloads on Azure, please attain out to us.