Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK) is a single-node, developer-friendly deployment of Microsoft Azure Stack Hub. The objective of using the ASDK is to simulate an Azure Stack Hub environment for testing or learning purposes. A detailed demonstration of how one could use Azure Stack Development Kit for testing backup and restore of infrastructure will be provided. It is important to add that these operations are essential in a professional ‘AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub’ exam.
Azure Stack Development Kit
ASDK allows developers to build, test, and optimize applications for hybrid or edge environments. Besides, it is an excellent tool for testing backup and restoration processes. This will be demonstrated below considering an example of a Windows based virtual machine.
Test Backup and Restore
To illustrate the process of backup and restoration, we’ll consider a scenario where a Windows virtual machine is running on a physical host.
Backup
- Start by creating a Recovery Services vault. Navigate to the Azure portal, go to the
All Servicesmenu, and then selectRecovery Services. - Once the Recovery Services vault is created, it’s time to set up Backup.
- From the
Backupoption, selectAzure Workload, and thenAzure Stack. - At this point, you would need to select the virtual machine to back up.
- Finally, set the backup policy and initiate the backup.
Restore
- Navigate to the
Recovery Services vaultsdashboard, and select the appropriate vault. - From the
Backup itemstab, selectAzure Stack. - A list of all the backed-up items will appear. Select the one that needs to be restored.
- Click the
Restore VMbutton, and the restoration process will begin.
Ensure that the process matches the settings and requirements of the environment, system, or application being backed up or restored.
Comparison: ASDK and Azure Stack Hub
While ASDK and Azure Stack Hub serve the similar purpose they are implemented in different ways:
| Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK) | Azure Stack Hub |
|---|---|
| Single-node deployment of Azure Stack Hub. | Multi-node deployment of Azure Stack Hub. |
| Best suited for testing, development and proof-of-concept work. | Best suited for production workloads. |
| Free to download and use. | Purchase necessary. |
| Operates on a single physical server. | Requires four or more nodes (physical servers). |
Conclusion
The Azure Stack Development Kit provides a robust and efficient environment for testing backup and restore for infrastructure. It also serves as an excellent learning platform for exam ‘AZ-600 Configuring and Operating a Hybrid Cloud with Microsoft Azure Stack Hub’. Though the ASDK is limited in its capacity compared to Azure Stack Hub, it provides adequate functionality for testing, development, and learning purposes.
Practice Test
True or False: Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK) is a single-node deployment of Azure Stack Hub?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The ASDK is indeed a single-node deployment of Azure Stack Hub that you can use to learn and demonstrate features.
The Azure Stack Development Kit supports high availability.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK) does not support high availability as it is a single-node, non-production environment intended for learning and demonstrating Azure Stack features.
True or False: Test environments within Azure Stack Development Kit are well suited for production workloads.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Due to the single-node and no high availability, ASDK environments are not suitable for production workloads.
Which tool can you use to backup and restore the Azure Stack Infrastructure?
- a) PowerShell
- b) Azure CLI
- c) Azure Portal
- d) Azure Stack Operator
Answer: a) PowerShell
Explanation: PowerShell can be used to backup and restore the Azure Stack Infrastructure.
Can you restore an Azure Stack Development Kit deployment to a different host server?
- Yes
- No
Answer: No
Explanation: Azure Stack Development Kit does not support the restoration of a backup to a different host server.
True or False: You cannot backup guest OS Virtual Machines with Azure Stack Development Kit.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: VM backup capability inside Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK) does not include guest OS or application-level backup.
What type of storage is recommended for Azure Stack backup?
- a) Local storage
- b) Network share
- c) Cloud storage
- d) External USB storage
Answer: b) Network share
Explanation: A network share is the recommended storage for Azure Stack backup.
True or False: PowerShell is not necessary for managing Azure Stack Development Kit.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: PowerShell is the primary tool for managing Azure Stack Development Kit.
How many daily backups of Azure Stack Infrastructure will be kept by default?
- a) 2
- b) 3
- c) 5
- d) 7
Answer: a) 2
Explanation: By default, Azure Stack keeps the last two daily infrastructural backups.
True or False: Azure Stack Development Kit supports failover and load balancing.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Stack Development Kit is a single-node deployment of Azure Stack Hub and does not support failover or load balancing.
What is the correct command to initiate a manual backup in PowerShell for Azure Stack?
- a) Start-AzsBackup
- b) Initiate-AzsBackup
- c) Manual-Start-AzsBackup
- d) ManualBackup-Azs
Answer: a) Start-AzsBackup
Explanation: The command “Start-AzsBackup” is used to manually initiate Azure Stack backups from PowerShell.
True or False: Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK) is designed to support long-term operational use.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: ASDK is a non-production, single-node deployment intended to showcase functionality in Azure Stack and isn’t designed for long-term operational use.
Can Azure Site Recovery service be used for Azure Stack Development Kit backup?
- Yes
- No
Answer: No
Explanation: Azure Site Recovery isn’t supported with ASDK; it’s mainly designed for disaster recovery.
True or False: Infrastructural backup in Azure Stack only backs-up Resource Providers data.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Infrastructural backup in Azure Stack is limited to backing-up Resource Providers data; it doesn’t backup IaaS VMs or PaaS services.
How many parallel backup or restore operations can you run simultaneously on Azure Stack?
- a) 1
- b) 2
- c) 3
- d) 4
Answer: a) 1
Explanation: With Azure Stack, you can only run one parallel backup or restore operation at a time.
Interview Questions
1. What is the Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK)?
The ASDK is a single-node version of Azure Stack Hub that you can use to learn about the system, create proof of concepts environments, or test or demonstrate your applications.
2. How do you take a backup of Azure Stack Development Kit (ASDK)?
Azure Stack Development Kit doesn’t have built-in backup functionality. You’d have to back up individual resources or create a custom script that programmatically calls each service’s backup API.
3. How do you test the restore process in Azure Stack Development Kit?
To test a restore, you’d typically need to delete or alter some resources, then perform the restore process and confirm everything is functioning as expected.
4. What are the steps to backing up a tenant workload in Azure Stack Hub?
To backing up a tenant workload, you need to Identify the workload that requires backup. Then Identify the applicable data backup method and late you can Follow the backup method steps to back up the data.
5. What is a way to protect your tenant’s infrastructure when using the Azure Stack Development Kit?
One way to protect tenant infrastructure is to replicate and back up critical data to an on-premises location or to Azure cloud.
6. What are the two types of data in Azure Stack Hub that you can back up?
Infrastructure Backup Service backs up two types of data: metadata and the user database.
7. Where should the backup data be stored for Azure Stack Development Kit?
The backup data should be stored externally from Azure Stack, in a separate location for disaster recovery purposes.
8. How often are backups created by the Azure Stack Infrastructure Backup Service?
By default, backups are created every 12 hours, but this can be modified to better suit your organization’s needs.
9. Can you use Azure Backup Service to back up Azure Stack Development Kit?
No, Azure Backup Service is not capable of backing up the Azure Stack Development Kit environment; it caters only to individual Azure resources.
10. What is the command to start a backup job for Infrastructure Backup service?
The command is
Start-AzsBackupto manually trigger a backup job for Infrastructure Backup service in Azure Stack.
11. How can you view the backup status in Azure Stack Hub?
Backups status can be viewed through the Privileged Endpoint (PEP) using the
Get-AzsBackupPowerShell cmdlet.
12. Can Azure Stack Development Kit be used for production purposes?
No, Azure Stack Development Kit is designed for learning, demonstration, and development purposes. It's not supported for use as a production environment.
13. What are the key steps involved in restoring infrastructure data in Azure Stack Hub?
The key steps include moving the backed-up data, restoring the infrastructure data using the
New-SecretEncryptionCertcmdlet, and validating the restore by running the
Test-AzureStackcmdlet.
14. Is there a way to restore Infrastructure data directly from the Azure Stack operator portal?
No, restoring infrastructure data is not possible through the Azure Stack operator portal; it must be done via the command line interface.
15. How would you handle a failure that occurs during the restore process of Azure Stack Hub?
In the case of a failure, you would examine the logs to identify and troubleshoot the issue. If a resolution is not found, it's recommended to contact Microsoft Support.
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