ARM - Add multiple VM to Recovery Services Vault (copyIndex) - azure

Question

I'm trying to use the Recovery Services where I can automatically add a VM to Azure Backup via ARM template. I have successfully done this on a single machine deploy, but I'm trying to import it for when multiple VMs are deployed.
Here is where I had help from:
https://www.francoisdelport.com/2017/03/automating-azure-vm-backups-using-arm-templates/
and
Azure ARM JSON template - Add VM to Recovery Services Vault in different Resource Group
Here is a snippet from a single deploy I had working
{
"apiVersion": "2017-05-10",
"name": "nestedTemplate",
"type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
"resourceGroup": "Env1",
"dependsOn": [
"[concat('Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/', variables('vmName'))]"
],
"properties": {
"mode": "Incremental",
"template": {
"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"parameters": {},
"variables": {},
"resources": [
{
"apiVersion": "2016-06-01",
"name": "[concat( parameters('recoveryVault'), '/Azure/', 'iaasvmcontainer;iaasvmcontainerv2;', parameters('vmRsg') , ';', parameters('vmPrefix'), '/vm;iaasvmcontainerv2;', parameters('vmRsg'),';', parameters('vmPrefix'))]",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"type": "Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupFabrics/protectionContainers/protectedItems",
"properties": {
"protectedItemType": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
"policyId": "[resourceId('Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupPolicies', parameters('recoveryVault'), parameters('recoveryPolicy'))]",
"sourceResourceId": "[resourceId(subscription().subscriptionId, parameters('vmRsg'), 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines', parameters('vmPrefix'))]"
}
}
]
}
}
}
Now I'm trying to use that in a copyIndex form for VM deploy, and here is the code I've been testing with:
{
"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"parameters": {
"adminUsername": {
"type": "string",
"minLength": 1,
"metadata": {
"description": "Username for the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"adminPassword": {
"type": "securestring",
"metadata": {
"description": "Password for the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"dnsNameForPublicIP": {
"type": "string",
"minLength": 1,
"metadata": {
"description": "Globally unique DNS Name for the Public IP used to access the Virtual Machine."
}
},
"windowsOSVersion": {
"type": "string",
"defaultValue": "2012-R2-Datacenter",
"allowedValues": [
"2008-R2-SP1",
"2012-Datacenter",
"2012-R2-Datacenter"
],
"metadata": {
"description": "The Windows version for the VM. This will pick a fully patched image of this given Windows version. Allowed values: 2008-R2-SP1, 2012-Datacenter, 2012-R2-Datacenter."
}
},
"vmCount": {
"type": "int",
"defaultValue": 1
},
"virtualNetworkName": {
"type": "string"
},
"dataDiskCount": {
"type": "int",
"defaultValue": 1
},
"recoveryVault": {
"type": "string",
"metadata": {
"description": "Backup vault name"
}
},
"recoveryPolicy": {
"type": "string",
"metadata": {
"description": "Backcup policy name"
}
},
"vmPrefix": {
"type": "string",
"metadata": {
"description": "Prefix for VM names, used with vmCount to build the VM names"
}
},
"vmRsg": {
"type": "string",
"metadata": {
"description": "Resource group where VMs reside"
}
}
},
"variables": {
"imagePublisher": "MicrosoftWindowsServer",
"imageOffer": "WindowsServer",
"OSDiskName": "osdiskforwindowssimple",
"nicName": "myVMNic",
"subnetName": "Subnet",
"vhdStorageType": "Standard_LRS",
"publicIPAddressName": "myPublicIP",
"publicIPAddressType": "Dynamic",
"vhdStorageContainerName": "vhds",
"vmName": "MWindowsVM",
"vmSize": "Standard_A2",
"virtualNetworkName": "MyVNET",
"vnetId": "[resourceId(resourceGroup().name, 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks', parameters('virtualNetworkName'))]",
"subnetRef": "[concat(variables('vnetId'), '/subnets/', variables('subnetName'))]"
},
"resources": [
{
"apiVersion": "2016-03-30",
"type": "Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses",
"name": "[concat(variables('publicIPAddressName'), copyIndex(1))]",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"tags": {
"displayName": "PublicIPAddress"
},
"properties": {
"publicIPAllocationMethod": "[variables('publicIPAddressType')]",
"dnsSettings": {
"domainNameLabel": "[concat(parameters('dnsNameForPublicIP'), copyIndex(1))]"
}
},
"copy": {
"name": "publicIpCopy",
"count": "[parameters('vmCount')]"
}
},
{
"apiVersion": "2016-03-30",
"type": "Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces",
"name": "[concat(variables('nicName'), copyIndex(1))]",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"tags": {
"displayName": "NetworkInterface"
},
"dependsOn": [
"[concat('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses/', concat(variables('publicIPAddressName'), copyIndex(1)))]"
],
"properties": {
"ipConfigurations": [
{
"name": "[concat('ipconfig', copyIndex(1))]",
"properties": {
"privateIPAllocationMethod": "Dynamic",
"publicIPAddress": {
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses', concat(variables('publicIPAddressName'), copyIndex(1)))]"
},
"subnet": {
"id": "[variables('subnetRef')]"
}
}
}
]
},
"copy": {
"name": "nicCopy",
"count": "[parameters('vmCount')]"
}
},
{
"apiVersion": "2017-03-30",
"copy": {
"name": "nodeCopy",
"count": "[parameters('vmCount')]"
},
"type": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
"name": "[concat(variables('vmName'), copyIndex(1))]",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"tags": {
"displayName": "VirtualMachine"
},
"dependsOn": [
"[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces/', concat(variables('nicName'), copyIndex(1)))]"
],
"properties": {
"hardwareProfile": {
"vmSize": "[variables('vmSize')]"
},
"osProfile": {
"computerName": "[concat(variables('vmName'), copyIndex(1))]",
"adminUsername": "[parameters('adminUsername')]",
"adminPassword": "[parameters('adminPassword')]"
},
"storageProfile": {
"imageReference": {
"publisher": "[variables('imagePublisher')]",
"offer": "[variables('imageOffer')]",
"sku": "[parameters('windowsOSVersion')]",
"version": "latest"
},
"osDisk": {
"createOption": "FromImage"
},
"copy": [
{
"name": "dataDisks",
"count": "[parameters('dataDiskCount')]",
"input": {
"diskSizeGB": 1023,
"lun": "[copyIndex('dataDisks')]",
"createOption": "Empty"
}
}
]
},
"networkProfile": {
"networkInterfaces": [
{
"id": "[resourceId('Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces', concat(variables('nicName'), copyIndex(1)))]"
}
]
}
}
},
{
"apiVersion": "2017-05-10",
"name": "nestedTemplate",
"type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
"resourceGroup": "Env1",
"dependsOn": [
"[concat('Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/', concat(variables('vmName'), copyIndex(1)))]"
],
"properties": {
"mode": "Incremental",
"template": {
"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"parameters": {},
"variables": {},
"resources": [
{
"copy": {
"name": "protectedItemsCopy",
"count": "[parameters('vmCount')]"
},
"apiVersion": "2017-03-30",
"name": "[concat( parameters('recoveryVault'), '/Azure/', 'iaasvmcontainer;iaasvmcontainerv2;', parameters('vmRsg') , ';', parameters('vmPrefix'), copyIndex(1), '/vm;iaasvmcontainerv2;', parameters('vmRsg'),';', parameters('vmPrefix'), copyIndex(1))]",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"type": "Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupFabrics/protectionContainers/protectedItems",
"properties": {
"protectedItemType": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
"policyId": "[resourceId('Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupPolicies', parameters('recoveryVault'), parameters('recoveryPolicy'))]",
"sourceResourceId": "[resourceId(subscription().subscriptionId ,parameters('vmRsg'),'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines', concat(parameters('vmPrefix'), copyIndex(1)) )]"
}
}
]
}
}
}
]
}
Sadly it reports an error when trying to deploy, which I can't figure out why because it seems to be correct.
Error: Code=InvalidTemplate; Message=Deployment template validation failed: 'The template resource 'nestedTemplate' at line '198' and column '10' is not valid: The template function 'copyIndex' is not expected at this location. The function can only be used in a resource with copy specified. Please see https://aka.ms/arm-copy for usage details.. Please see https://aka.ms/arm-template-expressions for usage details.'.
The deployment validation failed
FYI, line 198 is "name": "nestedTemplate",
Any ideas, please?

Answer 1

To expand upon #4c74356b41 answer I was missing the all important "index":{ "value": "[copyIndex()]" within "Microsoft.Resources/deployments" on the parent template.
For those wanting to know more, have a look at: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/resource-group-create-multiple
Ensure you have the ('index') parameter next to those items which need to be duplicated, such as "[concat(parameters('WHATEVER'), parameters('index'))]"
I also ended up having a nested source within my linked template for the overall design I was looking for.
So my parent template had a linked (child) template (to another file) with:
name": "[concat('nestings', copyIndex(1))]",
"type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments", ...
My child template had all the usual buildings of a VM with the parameters ('index') to ensure the items which are duplicated are named correctly.
And finally at the bottom of the child template I had a nested template source so I could back the VM up to another resource group (had to be nested, otherwise you can't do multiple resource groups), which looked like this:
{
"apiVersion": "2017-05-10",
"name": "[concat('nestedTemplate', parameters('index'))]",
"type": "Microsoft.Resources/deployments",
"resourceGroup": "Env1",
"dependsOn": [
"[concat('Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/', concat(variables('vmName'), parameters('index')))]"
],
"properties": {
"mode": "Incremental",
"template": {
"$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2015-01-01/deploymentTemplate.json#",
"contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
"parameters": {},
"variables": {},
"resources": [
{
"apiVersion": "2016-06-01",
"name": "[concat( parameters('recoveryVault'), '/Azure/', 'iaasvmcontainer;iaasvmcontainerv2;', parameters('vmRsg') , ';', concat(parameters('vmPrefix'), parameters('index')), '/vm;iaasvmcontainerv2;', parameters('vmRsg'),';', concat(parameters('vmPrefix'), parameters('index')))]",
"location": "[resourceGroup().location]",
"type": "Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupFabrics/protectionContainers/protectedItems",
"properties": {
"protectedItemType": "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines",
"policyId": "[resourceId('Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupPolicies', parameters('recoveryVault'), parameters('recoveryPolicy'))]",
"sourceResourceId": "[resourceId(subscription().subscriptionId, parameters('vmRsg'), 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines', concat(parameters('vmPrefix'), parameters('index')))]"
}
}
]
}
}
}

Answer 2

So what its telling you that you are not supposed to use copyIndex() function in that place. Now why exactly this is happening I don't know, but I do know that inline templates are a mess (for instance they use parent template paremeters, not nested template), I'm pretty sure if you convert that template to a real nested template (so a linked template, completely separate file) the above syntax will work.
Also, I'm handling this in a separate manner. I'm using 1 single nested deployment for each VM I have, so I'm using copy on the deployment resource, not backup resource.