Use Microsoft Azure Backup Solution to Keep Cloud Data Replica Safe
MS Azure backup solution is a service that enables users to protect, backup, and restore information stored on the Microsoft online cloud. It replaces the present off-site backup products or on-premises methods with an online approach, which is secure, cost-competitive, and reliable. The solution is offering several components to its clients for downloading and deploying on the accurate set of PCs, servers, or clouds. Agent or component that is deployed by you is completely dependent on the fact that what enterprises want to secure. Microsoft Azure backup components can be utilized to create a replica in a Recovery Services vault of Azure.
Why Go Only For Azure Backup Solution Among All?
Cloud is treated as an endpoint or static storage platform like drives, pen drives, etc., in traditional backup approaches. These approaches are simple but, they are designed with some set of restrictions and do not acquire the complete benefit of a fundamental cloud platform. Talking about the other cloud backup solutions then, the problem with them is that business clients end up paying for the wrong storage or extra storage space. The following points will define key benefits that are rendered with Azure backup solution :
- Automated Storage Management – A hybrid cloud platform demands heterogeneous kind of storage solutions – some in the cloud and some on-premises. In the Azure backup solution, there is no extra cost to use devices of on-premises storage. It automatically manages and allocates backup storage and works on the basis of pay-as-you-use architecture.
- Multiple Options to Store Replica – Another reason for choosing the Microsoft Azure backup solution is that it provides high-availability for storage replication. Locally redundant storage (LRS) and Geo-redundant storage (GRS) – these two kinds of replications are provided with this approach.
- LRS creates a copy of data three times in a storage scale of the data center unit. All data copies are present in the same region, requiring low-cost in protecting content from sudden system failures.
- Another option is the default and most recommended solution i.e., GRS. It creates a data replica on some secondary location, which is different from the existing one. In comparison to LRS, the cost is high but, durability is high in GRS
- Unlimited Information Transmission – Alike traditional backup software, Microsoft Azure backup solution does not impose restrictions on outbound or inbound information, which is to be processed. It does not ask clients to pay for data transferring or accessing. But, if you are using the Import or Export service of Azure to import big data, the cost needs to be paid with inbound content.
- Replicated Data Secured With Encryption – Cloud data encryption solution enables users to attempt a risk-free transmission on an unsecured cloud. It ensures security for ‘data at rest’ mode, which is stored on servers or online storage platforms. By default, you are storing an encryption passphrase and it will never be stored or transmitted in Azure. It is mandatory to have an encryption passphrase or key to decrypt the data at the time of the restoration process.
- Renders A Long-term Retention Time Period – Short-term and long-term data retention periods are available at the time of recovery services. Microsoft Azure backup solution imposes no limit on the time duration and backed up data can stay in ‘Recovery Services vault’. It is the customer’s wish, how long he or she wants to keep information saved on a vault.
What is Recovery Services Vault?
Since the starting of this post on Azure backup solution, you must be again-and-again encountering the term ‘recovery services vault’. Do you know what is it? No? Well, it is an online storage system in Microsoft Azure, which holds backup copies, backup policies, and recovery points. One can make use of this storage entity to keep backup information of on-premises servers and Azure services intact. Using Azure backup with recovery service vault makes it simple to manage and organize backup data by minimizing the management workload. You can create up to five hundred recovery services vaults per Azure within each subscription plan.
Security Factors in Azure Backup Solution
Either it is about cloud solution provider or backup solution vendor, security is a major aspect all around. Microsoft Azure backup solution renders all possible protection, which is required to secure backup content on recovery services vault. The following points enable users to understand the security offered by Azure:
- Network Security – From the customer’s server to the Recovery service vault, entire backup content is secured with Advanced Encryption Standard 256. The backed-up information is sent over a protective HTTP link. It is stored at rest in an encrypted manner, and enable only an authorized person to unlock it via passphrase. Through any strategy, Microsoft itself cannot open the encrypted content until and unless the correct key is not present.
- Backup Data Security – Encryption setup is required within the virtual machine at the time of backing up Azure virtual machines. Azure disk encryption is supported in this Microsoft provided a backup solution, which comprises BitLocker on Windows VMs. At the back, the Azure backup approach uses the Storage service encryption method for protecting data at rest
Conclusion
The azure backup solution simplifies the way of cloud data backup and recovery procedures. It secures information on-premise and in the cloud infrastructure with an advanced level of encryption standards. Enterprises administrators will be able to focus more on innovative ideas for their business growth, rather than being getting engaged in choosing a suitable cloud data backup solution.