Veeam and Azure

Veeam and Azure

Veeam and Azure

Restore to Microsoft Azure

Veeam Backup & Réplication permit to restore backup directly on Microsoft Azure. With Veeam you can :

  • Restore machine to Microsoft Azure
  • Migrate on-premises machines to the cloud
  • Create a lab (similar to the prod) on the cloud for test patching, …

What type of backup can be used ?

For replicate to Azure, the backup must be :

  • Backup of Windows and Linux VM (VMware vSphere VMs or vCloud Director VMs)
  • Backup created with veeam agent (Windows and Linux). Backups must be created at the entire machine level or volume level.
  • Backup of EC2 instances or Nutanix AHV VMs.

Restoration process to Azure

On the first time, If Azure proxy is used for restore VM, Veeam powers on the Azure proxy. Thereafter Veeam convert disk of machine (backed-up machine to the VHD format). After conversion, the disks is uploaded to blob storage on Microsoft Azure and it’s mounted to the backup server.

Veeam prepares the disks for the restore step. It also enables Remote Desktop rules and configures firewall rules. It prepares disks for Microsoft Azure agent installation.

The prepared disks are unmounted from the bakup server and Azure proxy is powers off after a time out (if used). The Microsoft Azure VM is registers with prepared disks. With this process is complete, VM is powered on and Azure Agent is installed.

Veeam and Azure - Veeam infrastructure

Configure Azure prerequities

Uploading disks from the machine to Microsoft Azure can take a long time (low speed internet connection for example). In order to speed up the recovery process and thus reduce RPO and RTO, it is strongly recommended to set up an Azure proxy.

Veeam transports data from the disks to the blob storage through this proxy. The various Veeam components installed on the proxy enable compression and deduplication of disk data. This reduces network traffic. The proxy is set up using a wizard available from the Veeam console. The wizard allows the deployment of a Windows Server 2012 R2 VM in Azure directly. After deployment, the proxy role is automatically assigned. In the event that the restore will involve several Azure regions, it is recommended to use one proxy per region.

Configure Azure prerequisites

We must create in Azure Storage account andNetwork before create Azure proxies. I use my Ressources Group but you can if you want create new ressources group. From Azure portal, enter Storage on search bar then click on Storage accounts.

VeeamAzure02

Click on Add for add new storage accounts.

Veeam and Azure - Create new storage account

Select resource group or create new resource group. Enter desired storage account name and select location. Select Cool for access tier and click on Next.

Veeam and Azure - Configure new storage account

Click on Review + Create on Networking Windows then on Create for create stockage accounts.

Veeam and Azure - Create storage account

Virtual Network can be created. From the Azure portal, click on Virtual Networks.

Create virtual network

Click on Add for create new virtual networks.

Add new virtual network

Select the desired Resource Group and enter the name. Select the Region and click on Next.

Create new virtual network

Configure the IPv4 address space and click on Add for add new subnet. Enter the Subnet address range and click on Add. CLick on Next for configure security.

Configure Virtual network

Configure the security as you want and click on Review + create then on Create for create virtual networks.

Configure security

Configure Azure Account

This operation is mandatory if you want add Azure proxies.. Before add Azure account, you must add the Following address on if you use Protected mode for Internet Explorer.

  • https://login.live.com
  • https://login.microsoftonline.com
  • https://secure.aadcdn.microsoftonline-p.com
  • https://auth.gfx.ms
  • about:security_veeam.backup.shell.exe

From the Veeam console, open the menu and click on Manage Cloud Credentials.

Configure Veeam console

A windows appear, click on Add then on Microsoft Azure compute account.

Veeam select Azure Account

Select the region (choose Global for France, West Europe, …) and click on Next.

Select Azure region on Veeam

At the subscription step, you can use an existing account or create new account. This account must be owner of subscription Azure. if you want attribute minimal permission, you can use this link. You cannot use MFA for this account. If it’s enabled, you need disabled the MFA or use an other account..

select Azure account on Veeam

Click Next and Finish. Account has been added.

Configure Azure Proxies

From the Veeam console, open Backup Infrastructure tab and select Backup Proxies.

Add Backup Proxies

Click on Add Proxy then on Azure.

Enter the desired name (the name must not contain only numeric characters and not contain special characters). Configure the Max concurrent tasks. Click on Next.

Enter the name of the proxies

Click on Add and enter credential of the local/ domain admin account without domain name.

Add credential

Select the subscription and Location.

Select subscription

Select the VM size and the storage account.

Select the VM Size for Veeam Azure

Select the resource group and click on Next.

Select Resource group

Select the desired Virtual network and Subnet. Click on Apply for Apply configuration. If error 409 appear (The remote server returned an error:(409) Conflict), verify that the VM size is available on the selected region. If the problem persist, you can see on Azure monitor the error detail.

Select region azure

Click on Finish when all step is finished. Proxies has present in Veeam console.

Configuration is finished

Create backup file

If Backup job is already created, you can skip this step. From the Veeam console, open HOME tab and click on Jobs. Right Click on Jobs and select Backup then Virtual machine.

Create job on Azure

Enter the desired name of the backup job and click on Next.

Configure Veeam Job

With the Add button, select the desired virtual machines and click on Next. You can choose VM backup order with Up and Down button and exclude VM with Exclude button.

Select the desired VM

Select the Backup Proxy and the Backup Repository. Configure Retention Policy.

Select Veeam Backup Proxies

If your backup contain VM with SQL Server or Oracle, you need configure transaction Logs settings. For SQL, you can use this Post.For Oracle, you can use this link.

Enable application-aware processing

Configure scheduling and click on Apply. Backup job has been created. Start the backup job and wait that backup is finish.

Job has been finished

Restore to Azure

From the Veeam console, open HOME tab. Expand Backups and click on Disk. Expand the backup job and select the VM to be restored. In the ribbon, click on Microsoft Azure.

Restore to Azure

Select the Subscription and the Location.

Select subscription and location

Select the VM and click on Edit.

select the VM

Configure the Size and Storage option. Repeat the same operation for all VM.

Select size and storage

You can also configure Disk type (SSD or HDD) with Disks button. Click Next when configuration is finish.

Select disk

Select the VM and click on Group. You can select Resource group or create a new one. Repeat the same operation for all VM and click on Next. You can change the name with Name button.

Select ressource group

Select the VM and click on Network. Select Virtual Network and Subnet. You can choose to assign a public address at the VM.

Configure VLAN Network

Select VM and click on on Group. You can assign a Network Security Group. Repeat all operation for other VM.

Select VM and security group

An antivirus scan can be performed during recovery. If malware is present, the recovery can be aborted or the VM can be moved to another virtual network. Enable Scan if you want and click on Next.

Secure restore

Enter restore Reason and click on Next. Click on Finish for begin restore. By default, target VM has power on after restoring.

Enter reason of restore

The restoration is beginning. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish, my Internet connection being very bad.

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