One of the critical aspects of designing and implementing applications using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB is understanding how to locate a recovery point for a point-in-time recovery. Point-in-time recovery (PITR) provides the ability to restore data to any point in the past, which is crucial when needing to recover from accidental deletions, updates, or corruption.
Before diving into specifics, let’s first understand what Point-in-Time recovery is. Point-in-time recovery (PITR) is a feature that allows you analyze and recover your data to a precise moment. It’s a process applied to safeguard data from accidental deletion, corruption, or modification. In Azure Cosmos DB, you can perform point-in-time recovery of your Azure Cosmos accounts to any point within the last 30 days.
Understanding How PITR Works in Azure Cosmos DB
When you enable PITR for your Azure Cosmos DB account, it automatically starts taking backups of your data at regular intervals. These backups represent different points in time and can be used to restore your data to the state it was at that specific moment.
Azure’s continuous backup mode allows for this operation. In continuous mode, every operation on the database is logged, allowing for recovery to any specific moment.
How to Locate a Recovery Point for PITR
A recovery point, in this context, represents a specific point in time in the continuous backup of your Azure Cosmos DB account.
To locate a recovery point for PITR in Azure Cosmos DB, follow the steps illustrated below:
- First, browse to the Azure portal (https://portal.azure.com) and sign in with your Azure account.
- Navigate to your Azure Cosmos DB account.
- In the left-hand side menu of the account, find and select ‘Backup Policy’.
- Switch your backup policy to ‘Continuous’ if it isn’t already.
- Now, when you want to locate a recovery point, navigate to ‘Point in time restore’ located in the left-hand menu of your account window.
- Select ‘New Restore’.
- In the new window that opens up, there are fields named ‘Restore time (UTC)’ and ‘Restore time range’. Here you can specify the precise point in time or a range of time you would want to recover data from.
These specified fields essentially represent the recovery point for your PITR. Once you’ve specified these recovery points, Azure Cosmos DB will rewind the database’s state to that specific point in time.
Remember, Azure Cosmos DB allows to rewind the state back to any point in time in the last 30 days.
Considerations
Some considerations to bear in mind:
- While PITR is a powerful tool in your recovery arsenal, it should not be the only strategy employed. Regular database backups and replica sets should be a part of your comprehensive disaster recovery plan.
- The use of the continuous backup policy might incur additional charges due to increased storage use. Be mindful of the cost implications when enabling and working with this feature.
In conclusion, locating a recovery point for a point in time recovery in an Azure Cosmos DB involves switching to a Continuous backup policy, proceeding to the ‘Point in time restore’ section, creating a new restore, and specifying the precise point in time or duration for the recovery. This data management strategy helps protect valued data and provides peace of mind in the face of corruption or accidental deletions.
Azure Cosmos DB, combined with the PITR feature, forms a robust platform to build and maintain efficient, scalable, and resilient applications. To make the most out of these features, it’s critical to understand and correctly use these features, as covered in preparation for the DP-420 Designing and Implementing Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB exam.
Practice Test
True or False: “Recovery points” can be utilized to restore data to a previous state in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: A recovery point is a term used in cloud computing, which signifies a point to which data can be restored from a backup. Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB supports the use of recovery points.
In Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB, recovery points can be created manually.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: In Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB, recovery points are created automatically and continuously, you cannot manually create a recovery point.
Multiple choices: Which of the following can you do with a recovery point in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?
- A. Restore data
- B. Export data
- C. Replicate data
- D. All of the above
Answer: A. Restore data and C. Replicate data
Explanation: Recovery points in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB can be used to restore data to a previous time (Point-In-Time recovery) and can also help in data replication. Currently, data export is not supported using recovery points.
True or False: In Azure Cosmos DB, recovery points are stored indefinitely.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Cosmos DB stores recovery points for up to 30 days. This provides a window for point-in-time recovery.
Multiple choices: What is a point-in-time recovery in Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB?
- A. Restore data to a specific moment
- B. Back up data at a specific moment
- C. Restore data in the long-run
- D. Back up data in the long-run
Answer: A. Restore data to a specific moment
Explanation: Point-in-time recovery refers to the restoration of data to an earlier state, specifically to the state at a specific moment in time.
True or False: Azure Cosmos DB can recover the data from any point-in-time within the last 8 days.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Cosmos DB can recover the data from any point-in-time within the last 30 days, not just 8 days.
Single Choice: Which feature of Azure Cosmos DB can be used to restore data in cases of accidental deletion or modification?
- A. Data Sync
- B. Point-in-Time Recovery
- C. Geo-Replication
- D. Change Feed
Answer: B. Point-in-Time Recovery
Explanation: Azure Cosmos DB’s Point-in-Time Recovery feature helps in recovering the data in cases where the data is accidentally deleted or modified.
Multiple choices: To perform point-in-time recovery, which of the following information is necessary?
- A. Azure Cosmos DB account
- B. Time stamp (to which point the data will be restored)
- C. Data-center region
- D. Azure subscription
Answer: A. Azure Cosmos DB account, B. Time stamp (to which point the data will be restored) and D. Azure subscription
Explanation: To perform point-in-time recovery with Azure Cosmos DB, you must have an Azure Cosmos DB account. You also need the time stamp indicating the point to which the data will be restored, and your Azure subscription.
True or False: Azure Cosmos offers the ability to locate a recovery point in time, for a point in time recovery.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Cosmos does indeed provide the ability to locate a recovery point for a point-in-time recovery.
Single choice: What is the maximum duration for which Azure Cosmos DB maintains recovery points?
- A. 30 hours
- B. 30 days
- C. 60 days
- D. 7 days
Answer: B. 30 days
Explanation: Azure Cosmos DB maintains recovery points for up to 30 days.
Interview Questions
What is a recovery point in Azure Cosmos DB?
A recovery point in Azure Cosmos DB is a specific point in time in which a database’s state is stored. It allows administrators to restore the database to that specific point if necessary.
How does Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB allow for point-in-time recovery?
Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB supports point-in-time recovery by creating automatic backups of the database every four hours. These backups allow a database to be restored back to any point within the last 30 days.
What are the steps to locate a recovery point for the point-in-time recovery?
To locate a recovery point for point-in-time recovery, navigate to the Azure portal, select Azure Cosmos DB, select the desired account, and navigate to the ‘Backup Policy’ tab. Then, turn on ‘Continuous backup mode’.
What is the Continuous Backup mode in Azure Cosmos DB?
The Continuous Backup mode in Azure Cosmos DB is a feature that allows for point-in-time recovery at any second in the last 30 days. This provides a much more granular recovery option compared to the periodic backup mode.
What is the maximum retention period for the point-in-time recovery feature on Azure Cosmos DB?
The maximum retention period is 30 days for the point-in-time recovery feature in Azure Cosmos DB.
Can we perform point-in-time recovery (PITR) across different Azure regions?
No, point-in-time recovery (PITR) is geo-fenced, which means you can only recover data in the same region where it exists.
Is point-in-time recovery supported in multi-region write Cosmos accounts?
Yes, point-in-time recovery is supported in multi-region write Cosmos accounts, with the Continuous backup mode enabled.
How would you initiate a point-in-time recovery for Azure Cosmos DB?
To initiate a point-in-time recovery, you would use the Azure Portal, the Azure CLI, or the Azure Cosmos DB REST APIs and specify the desired restore timestamp.
When a Cosmos DB collection is deleted, can it be restored using point-in-time recovery?
Yes. With Continuous Backup mode, if a container or database is deleted, you can restore it along with its data to any point within the last 30 days.
Can we change the backup interval and retention period in Azure Cosmos DB?
No, the backup interval and retention period are system-defined and cannot be changed in Azure Cosmos DB. The automatic backup is taken every four hours and the retention period for backup data is 30 days.
Does enabling Continuous Mode Backup on existing accounts affect my workload?
No, enabling Continuous Mode Backup on existing accounts does not affect your workload. The process is online and it does not require any downtime.
Can I perform point-in-time recovery on Azure Cosmos DB using Azure PowerShell?
Yes. Although Azure portal and Azure CLI can be used to perform point-in-time recovery, it can similarly be done through Azure PowerShell by providing necessary parameters in the Restore command.
How does the point-in-time recovery feature in Azure Cosmos DB affect the cost?
Activation of the point-in-time recovery feature in Azure Cosmos DB will result in additional charges as it requires continuous backup storage, which is billed separately. The exact cost will depend on the amount of storage used and the selected retention period.
Can I perform a point-in-time recovery in the middle of an ongoing data transfer operation?
Yes. Azure Cosmos DB allows for online database operations which means you can do a point-in-time recovery even during ongoing database activities.
What is the benefit of using the point-in-time recovery feature in Azure Cosmos DB?
The primary benefit of using the point-in-time recovery feature is that it provides protection against accidental deletion of data, corruption, or malicious actions. It provides the ability to restore the database to a specific point in time within the last 30 days.
extutorials.com