SQL native backups to Azure VM

Question

I have a question about SQL backup on an Azure SQL VM. I support SQL Server on two Azure VMs that were provisioned by my organization's Azure architect who is no longer with the organization. The two servers form an AlwaysOn cluster although that may not be relevant for my question. I have RDP access to the VMs. I also have an account in my organization's Azure portal. I can't find the two VMs in the portal so I don't know how the storage is configured. My question is, if I backup databases to .BAK files on the VM storage using native SQL backup, is there built-in redundancy/retention where I can grab previous generations of .BAK's in case I need to restore? Where should I look for previous generations of .BAK files? I'll research it myself, but am hoping for some quick guidance.

Answer 1

@David C , If the target Azure VMs are being backed up using the Azure VM Backup method, then all files/folders will be included in that backup; thus allowing you to retrieve a previous .BAK file.

If, however, the Azure VMs have been configured to use the SQL Server Backup in Azure VMs method, this is only protecting the targeting databases, not the entire VM (or it’s file system).

Hope this answers your question!

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