Creating an Azure Recovery Services vault is a crucial step in ensuring the safety and security of your data. The vault is essentially a storage entity that stores all backups and recovery points that you create over time. You can use the recovery services vault to back up data such as Azure Virtual Machines (VMs), SQL server databases, etc.

This article will demonstrate how to create an Azure Recovery Services vault for the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Sign into Azure Portal

The first thing you need to do is sign in to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com/).

Step 2: Create a Recovery Services vault

To create a Recovery Services vault, you should follow these steps:

  1. In the left-hand menu, select “All services”. In the list of resources, type in “Recovery Services”. As you begin typing, the list will filter based on your input – select “Recovery Services vaults”.
  2. In the “Recovery Services vaults” dashboard, click on “Add”.
  3. You’ll then have to provide the following information:
    • Name: The name of the vault. It must be unique within the Azure subscription.
    • Subscription: Choose the subscription to use. If you’re a member of only one subscription, it’ll be selected automatically. If you’re not sure which subscription to use, use the default (or ask your administrator).
    • Resource group: Use an existing resource group or create a new one.
    • Location: Specify the geographical location for your vault.
  4. Click “Create” to create the vault.

Remember, an Azure subscription can have up to 500 Recovery Service Vaults.

Step 3: Monitor the Vault Creation

Azure will take a few minutes to create the Recovery Services vault. You can monitor the progress on the notifications pane.

Once the Recovery Services vault is successfully created, you can then use it to back up data, manage resources, or restore data if needed.

Step 4: Configuring the Backup

  1. On the “Recovery Services vault” pane, click on the newly created vault.
  2. From the options available on the left sidebar, select “Backup”. You’ll be prompted to choose where your workload is running and what you want to backup.
  3. Once you’ve selected the required options, click on the “Backup” button found at the bottom to create your new backup.
  4. To edit the configuration settings (like changing the backup schedule, encryption settings, etc), use the “Manage Backup” button.

Congratulations! You have successfully created a Recovery Services vault and configured a backup.

Understanding the procedure to create the Recovery Services vault is crucial for not only backing up and protecting data but also managing and restoring it when necessary. This understanding is particularly important for the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam where Azure backup service forms a fundamental part of the syllabus.

Remember, Azure Recovery Service Vaults are important for maintaining backups of different workloads like Azure VMs, SQL databases, and so on. So, ensure you’re well-equipped with managing these during the exam. Happy studying!

Practice Test

Azure Site Recovery and Azure Backup services are the primary components of Azure Recovery Services vault?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: The Azure Recovery Services vault is mainly used for Azure Site Recovery and Azure Backup services.

An Azure Recovery Services vault can be configured to back up virtual machines across multiple Azure subscriptions?

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: The Azure Recovery Services vault can’t span subscriptions or Azure Active Directory tenants. Each vault is associated with one subscription.

What type of resources can you back up with Azure Recovery Services vault? (Multiple Select)

  • a. Azure SQL Databases
  • b. Azure Virtual Machines
  • c. Azure Storage Accounts
  • d. On-premises servers

Answer: a, b, d

Explanation: Azure Recovery Services vault can back up Azure SQL Databases, Azure Virtual Machines, and even on-premises servers.

By default, the Recovery Services vault has the Soft Delete feature enabled?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: The Soft Delete feature is enabled by default for a new Recovery Services vault to provide additional ransomware protection.

When you delete an Azure Recovery Services vault, the backup data within the vault is also immediately deleted?

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: When you delete a Recovery Services vault, Azure retains the backup data for 14 days to avoid unintentional data loss.

Azure Recovery Services vault can be used for disaster recovery solution?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: Azure Site Recovery, a service inside Azure Recovery Services vault, can be used for disaster recovery.

You can create more than one Azure Recovery Services vault per subscription?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: You can create multiple Azure Recovery Services vaults in one subscription.

Recovery Services vault supports encryption using your own key?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: Azure Recovery Services vault supports both Microsoft managed keys and customer-managed keys for encryption.

Recovery Services vaults cannot be moved across subscriptions or resource groups?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: Currently, Recovery Services vaults do not support movement across subscriptions or resource groups.

Which Azure geography should the Recovery Services vault be located in?

  • a. Same geography as the source data
  • b. Different geography as the source data
  • c. Any geography
  • d. No specific requirement

Answer: a

Explanation: To ensure the lowest latency and greatest throughput, the Recovery Services vault should be in the same geography as the source data.

You need to specify the Storage Replication type while creating the Recovery Services vault?

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: Storage Replication type needs not be specified while creating the Recovery Services vault. It’s associated with the Storage Account and not the vault.

You can associate an Azure Key Vault with the Recovery Services vault?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: Azure Key Vault can be associated with Recovery Services vault for storing the backup encryption keys.

Recovery Services vault can work with both LRS and GRS storage accounts?

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: Recovery Services vault can work with Locally redundant storage (LRS) or geo-redundant storage (GRS) depending on the business needs.

Azure Recovery Services vault supports incremental backups.

  • True
  • False

Answer: True

Explanation: Azure Recovery Services vault supports incremental backups, which means it only stores the changed data, providing efficient usage of storage.

It is necessary to enable Azure Backup before using Azure Site Recovery in Recovery Services vault?

  • True
  • False

Answer: False

Explanation: Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery are two separate services within Recovery Services vault and can operate independently. It is not necessary to enable Azure Backup before using Azure Site Recovery.

Interview Questions

What is Azure Recovery Services vault?

Azure Recovery Services vault is a storage entity in Azure that houses data such as backup copies, recovery points, and backup policies. It is used to orchestrate backup and disaster recovery for Azure virtual machines.

Is the Azure Recovery Services vault region-specific?

Yes, an Azure Recovery Services vault is created within a specific Azure region, which you select during the vault creation process.

How to create a Recovery Services vault in Azure?

You can create a Recovery Services vault in Azure by navigating to the Azure portal, select ‘All services’, and find ‘Recovery Services vaults’. Click ‘Add’, and then provide the name, subscription, resource group, and the location. Click ‘Create’ to finish the vault creation process.

Can you move a Recovery Services vault from one resource group to another?

Yes, you can move a Recovery Services vault from one resource group to another without causing any impact on the backup data stored in it.

Can Azure Recovery Services vault be used with Azure Backup?

Yes, Azure Backup service utilizes the Recovery Services vault for storing the backup data copies.

Can you delete a Recovery Services vault?

You can delete a Recovery Services vault, but before deletion, you must ensure that there are no registered resources like Azure VMs to the vault.

Can Recovery Services vaults be renamed?

No, once you have created a Recovery Services vault, you cannot rename it.

Can you transfer items between Recovery Services vaults?

No, currently Azure does not support moving items from one Recovery Services vault to another.

What is the maximum number of Azure VMs that can be registered in a single Recovery Services vault?

You can register up to 1000 Azure VMs in a single Recovery Services vault.

Can Recovery Services vault provide a backup for both Azure and on-premises resources?

Yes, Azure Recovery Services vault can back up Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) and non-Azure (on-premises) servers.

How many Recovery Services vaults can be created per subscription per region?

A total of 500 Azure Recovery Services vaults can be created per subscription per region.

How long can I retain the backup data in Recovery Services vault?

Azure Recovery Services vault allows data retention for up to 99 years.

Can I backup SQL Server databases using Recovery Services vault?

Yes, you can use Recovery Services vault with Azure Backup to backup SQL Server databases in Azure VMs.

How to automate the process of creating a Recovery Service vault in Azure?

Automation of creating a Recovery Service vault in Azure can be achieved by using Azure CLI, PowerShell, or Azure Resource Manager templates.

Can I encrypt backup data stored in Recovery Services vault?

Yes, data stored in the Recovery Services vault is encrypted at rest using Azure-managed keys or customer-managed keys in Azure Key Vault.

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