HomeWinBuzzer NewsMicrosoft Azure Backup for SQL Server Virtual Machines Now Generally Available

Microsoft Azure Backup for SQL Server Virtual Machines Now Generally Available

Azure Backup for SQL Server Virtual Machines is a cloud service that allows organizations to back up SQL VMs with no infrastructure.

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GA'd its Azure Backup for Virtual Machines service this week, bringing SQL Server backup capabilities to relational database management systems hosted on Azure-based virtual machines. Now generally available, all Azure customers can users Azure Backup for SQL to perform “one-click point-in-time restores”.

In an announcement this week, Microsoft said the solution fits into a world where organizations are increasingly embracing the cloud.

Azure Backup for SQL Server Virtual Machines allows simple backup in the cloud. Microsoft describes it as an enterprise-grade service that allows backup solutions with zero-infrastructure demand.

Among the benefits of using Azure Backup for SQL Server Virtual Machines are:

  1. “15-minute Recovery Point Objective (RPO): Working with uber critical data and have a low RPO? Schedule a log backup to happen every 15 minutes.
  2. One-click, point-in-time restores: Tired of elaborate manual restore procedures? Restore databases to a point in time up to a second in one click, without having to manually apply a chain of logs over differential and full backups.
  3. Long-term retention: Rigorous compliance and audit needs? Retain your backups for years, based on the retention duration, beyond which the recovery points will be pruned automatically by the built-in lifecycle management capability.
  4. Protection for encrypted databases: Concerned about security of your data and backups? Back-up SQL encrypted databases and secure backups with built-in encryption at rest while controlling backup and restore operations with Role-Based Access Control.
  5. Auto-protection: Dealing with a dynamic environment where new databases get added frequently? Auto-protect your server to automatically detect and protect the newly added databases.
  6. Central management and monitoring: Losing too much time managing and monitoring backups for each server in isolation? Scale smartly by creating centrally managed backup policies that can be applied across databases. Monitor jobs and get alerts and emails across servers and even vaults from a single pane of glass.
  7. Cost effective: No infrastructure and no overhead of managing the scale, seems like value for the money already? Enjoy reduced total cost of ownership and flexible pay-as-you-go option.”

Pricing

Azure Backup for SQL Server is a monthly subscription addition to Azure designed for enterprise customers that want to shift SQL loads to Azure VMs.

Microsoft says users pay for instance costs and storage costs per month. The pricing page says Instance cost is $30 per months for less than 500GB, but if instances are over tha load there are other $30 charges per month for each 500GB.

Tip: As an alternative to Microsoft´s offering, you can also use third-party solutions like Azure Backup from BDRSuite. It is a cost-effective service that offers native ggentless Backup & Recovery for Virtual Machines.

Last Updated on October 19, 2023 12:37 pm CEST by Markus Kasanmascheff

Luke Jones
Luke Jones
Luke has been writing about all things tech for more than five years. He is following Microsoft closely to bring you the latest news about Windows, Office, Azure, Skype, HoloLens and all the rest of their products.

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