I'm backing up my VM using a Vault in the same Storage Group but noticed that is was sent to GRS instead of LRS. GRS is double the price and I don't need anything better than LRS. I've checked the vault and backup setting but don't see a way to change or even configure that from the start.
Is there an option that I'm missing or is this controlled by Microsoft. On-line documents seem to indicate that is can be controlled but don't show how/where.
In fact, currently, we could not change the storage replication type if you have set up or have used this recovery service vault for backup. For the first time, you deploy this recovery service vault, you could change the storage replication type from GRS to LRS in the Azure portal.
In this case, you have to remove the old one and create a new vault. Refer to changing Azure Recovery Services Vault to LRS Storage. You also could vote this similar user voice here.
Related
There are two back up configuration options for Azure Recovery Service Vault - LRS vs GRS
This is a question regarding Azure Recovery Service Vault.
How does geo-redundant enabled recovery service vault being handled when its residing region failed ?
If the cross region restore is not being enabled for a recovery service, which by default it isn't, what will happen to my recovery service vault ?
I am trying to find out the difference between enabling cross region restore and not to.
There is not much info that i can find through the internet and official documents.
Configure cross region restore for recovery service vault
There is one more helpful link GRS vs LRS. However, as of time writing, seems like cross region restore has not been enabled, and right now, it is on enabled in west central us. However, we can enable GRS for all(most) regions.
The Recovery Services vault is an entity that stores the backups and recovery points created over time. Azure Backup automatically handles storage for the vault. The LRS and GRS mean to the Storage Replication type. Read the storage replication strategy.
Locally redundant storage (LRS) replicates your data three times
within a single data center.
GRS replicates your data to another data
center in a secondary region, but that data is available to be read
only if Microsoft initiates a failover from the primary to secondary
region.
Storage Replication type by default is set to Geo-redundant. The CRR feature is based on A vault created with GRS redundancy. So you can enable GRS for all(most) regions but CRR is currently available in the WCUS region. Read here.
As the GRS storage replication, If the primary region that geo-redundant enabled recovery service vault residing on failed, Microsoft initiates a failover from the primary to a secondary region. The secondary region serves as a redundant source for your data.
With CRR enabled service, The restore operation on the secondary region can be performed by Backup Admins and App admins. Which gives you full control to restore data to a secondary region. The secondary region is an Azure paired region.
Without CRR enabled service, you probably could not restore all the Azure VMs for the selected recovery point if the backup is done in the secondary region. You can create a new VM from a restore point, restores a VM disk, replace a disk on the existing VM. See the restore options.
Hope this could help you.
THis is another answer from Cross Region Restore - check comments for reference purpose.
The storage redundancy configuration for the Recovery Services Vault (RSV), is specific to Azure Backup data, not Azure Site Recovery (ASR).
This means, in the event of an Azure region failure, if the RSV is configured with Geo-Redundant Storage (GRS), then (with the help of the Azure support team), the RSV can be made available in the paired Azure region, and the data would be accessible.
The cross-region restore (CRR) option, is something that’s specific to Azure Backup, not ASR. You can have an RSV configured with GRS storage, but not have CRR enabled. The CRR feature allows you to take a backup of a VM in Region1, and perform a VM restore in Region2. The storage redundancy is for geo-failover of the RSV itself in the event of a full Azure region failure.
An Azure Recovery Services Vault has a "Backup Configuration" setting to control the "storage replication type" of the vault. There are 2 options: LRS or GRS storage. I need some guidance on what this means in the context of a vault.
1) What exactly does the LRS/GRS setting of a recovery services vault apply too when it comes to a vault? For example does it apply to the settings/configuration of the vault, does it apply to any backup data in the vault?
2) If the GRS setting applies to backup data within the vault does this mean that in the event of a disaster all backup data within the vault will be made available to a secondary region when a failover is triggered?
3) If point #2 above is true what is the point of recovery services vault replication? Does this just allow a customer to failover whenever they want instead of waiting for Microsoft to initiate the failover?
Using GRS for a recovery service vault means that your data is replicated to a second region. If the primary region goes down you will still be able to restore data using this recovery service vault in the secondary region.
GRS storage failover is under the control of Microsoft, they will choose when to failover (which has not happened yet), not you. There is a preview running for customer initiated failover for GRS storage, but this does not extend to backup vaults.
I created Recovery Services Vault in Azure and didn't see any option to choose from GRS or LRS. I am told it uses GRS by default. How can I change it to LRS?
That's right, GRS is the default option but you can change it.
From Proprieties of your vault > Backup Configuration > Update
Note: if you already have VMs protected, you shall delete them and backup them again.
Why do we need Azure backup for our VMs (disks) on azure, when azure storage account provides different replication options like LRS, ZRS, GRS, RA-GRS.
All the data is already replicate in different region (in case of GRS), what advantes I will get out of Azure Backup.
All the data is already replicate in different region (in case of
GRS), what advantes I will get out of Azure Backup.
Replication is not backup!
It is true that when you opt for GRS replication, 6 copies of your data is maintained (3 in primary and 3 in secondary) but when you delete the data from primary, data from secondary is automatically deleted.
UPDATE
You mean, if any data is deleted/corrupted due to some error/bug, can
be reproduced from backup and it is not possible in case of storage
replication.
You're absolutely correct!
But Microsoft sells "Azure backup and Site recovery" as a BCDR
strategy. In context of any disaster, why not just rely on Storage
replication. Any advantages of Azure backup/site recovery?
I have not used Azure backup so let me answer it from Storage Replication point of view. To put things simply, "In context of Azure, a disaster is not a disaster unless Microsoft thinks it is a disaster". Till the time that happens, you don't get access to secondary assuming you have opted for GRS replication (with RA-GRS, you obviously have an option to read the data from secondary at all times).
Furthermore if you choose LRS or Premium LRS replication and there's indeed a disaster in one data center, all of your data will be lost. With Azure Backup, you at least have a copy of your data lying somewhere safe and you could recreate your environment based on that backup.
I know this question is old but MS provide a solution for Disaster recovery by Storage account
We may have 2 solution for dealing with Disaster
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-disaster-recovery-guidance?toc=/azure/storage/blobs/toc.json
it said :
If the primary endpoint becomes unavailable for any reason, the client is no longer able to write to the storage account. The following image shows the scenario where the primary has become unavailable, but no recovery has happened yet:
enter image description here
The customer initiates the account failover to the secondary endpoint. The failover process updates the DNS entry provided by Azure Storage so that the secondary endpoint becomes the new primary endpoint for your storage account, as shown in the following image:
enter image description here
I have started using the Azure Recovery Services Vault to backup some Azure VMs for the first time. While looking at the vault I noticed in both recovery services vaults that the backup files were being stored in Cloud-GRS storage and not Cloud-LRS storage. I've looked everywhere I can think of and I can't find a way to change it (or anything even saying why I would want to). So, a couple of questions:
Is it possible to change the backup destination to Cloud-LRS?
If yes, why would one want to change it?
Is it possible to change the backup destination to Cloud-LRS?
Once you have registered servers on it, no. You have to remove all protected items before switching vault type. By default, GRS is used.
Assuming you have no protected items, select the Recovery Services Vault >> Backup Infrastructure >> Backup Configuration >> Select storage type
If yes, why would one want to change it?
Basically, you'd want to change it only if Azure is not your primary backup storage endpoint or if your backup data is not so critical after all.