Azure Primary Failed Region - Service Recovery Vault

Question

If a Azure region failed, If a GEO-Redundant, CRR enabled, Recovery Service Vault was created in that Azure failed region, that had VM backups in them (Given this use case):

1) Could I still go (via Azure portal) to the VM (that was created in the Primary Failed region) blade, and restore "Restore to Secondary Region"
without any issue?

2) How could I get the RSV restored in the secondary paired region? Is this something Microsoft can do behind the scenes? I presume since it is Geo-Redundant, this can be done.

3) If CRR is not enabled, could I still restore that VM in the secondary region

Answer 1

Hi @Rob McNees
Welcome to Microsoft Q&A community forum!

Apologies for delay in response to your queries.

1. Could I still go (via Azure portal) to the VM (that was created in the Primary Failed region) blade, and restore "Restore to Secondary Region"
   without any issue? ---> With CRR enabled Customers get the ability to trigger a restore independent of failure scenario, more details of what CRR brings on the table can be found here: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/blog/cross-region-restore-crr-for-azure-virtual-machines-using-azure-backup/

• When the primary region is available: Earlier, there was no provision for customers to test the backed up data in secondary region for audit or compliance purposes. This new capability enables customers to perform a restore of backed up data in the secondary region even when the primary region is still available.
• When the primary is unavailable: Earlier, customers couldn't access the backup data in the secondary region and needed to wait for Azure to declare disaster in the primary region. With this new feature, customers can trigger restore of backed up data in secondary region, even if the Azure primary region is partially unavailable or completely unavailable without any wait time.

2. How could I get the RSV restored in the secondary paired region? Is this something Microsoft can do behind the scenes? I presume since it is Geo-Redundant, this can be done. ---> For CRR enabled RSV, no need to depend on Microsoft for any kind of action here, Customer would be able to take restore actions on their own. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-recovery-services-vault-overview#:\~:text=A%20Recovery%20Services%20vault%20is%20an%20entity%20that%20stores%20the,storage%20settings%20can%20be%20changed.

Cross Region Restore : Cross Region Restore (CRR) allows you to restore Azure VMs in a secondary region, which is an Azure paired region. If Azure declares a disaster in the primary region, the data replicated in the secondary region is available to restore in the secondary region to mitigate real downtime disaster in the primary region for their environment. [Learn more][1].

3. If CRR is not enabled, could I still restore that VM in the secondary region ---> Yes for GRS enabled RSV, however Customer will have to wait while Azure declares a disaster in the primary region, the data replicated in the secondary region is available to restore in the secondary region to mitigate real downtime disaster in the primary region for their environment.

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[1]: 1)+Could+I+still+go+(via+Azure+portal)+to+the+VM+(that+was+created+in+the+Primary+Failed+region)+blade,+and+restore+"Restore+to+Secondary+Region"+without+any+issue?++With+CRR+enabled+Customers+get+the+ability+to+trigger+a+restore+independent+of+failure+scenario,+more+details+of+what+CRR+brings+on+the+table+can+be+found+here:+https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/blog/cross-region-restore-crr-for-azure-virtual-machines-using-azure-backup/+•+When+the+primary+region+is+available:+Earlier,+there+was+no+provision+for+customers+to+test+the+backed+up+data+in+secondary+region+for+audit+or+compliance+purposes.+This+new+capability+enables+customers+to+perform+a+restore+of+backed+up+data+in+the+secondary+region+even+when+the+primary+region+is+still+available.+•+When+the+primary+is+unavailable:+Earlier,+customers+couldn't+access+the+backup+data+in+the+secondary+region+and+needed+to+wait+for+Azure+to+declare+disaster+in+the+primary+region.+With+this+new+feature,+customers+can+trigger+restore+of+backed+up+data+in+secondary+region,+even+if+the+Azure+primary+region+is+partially+unavailable+or+completely+unavailable+without+any+wait+time.+++2)+How+could+I+get+the+RSV+restored+in+the+secondary+paired+region?+Is+this+something+Microsoft+can+do+behind+the+scenes?+I+presume+since+it+is+Geo-Redundant,+this+can+be+done.++For+CRR+enabled+RSV,+no+need+to+depend+on+Microsoft+for+any+kind+of+action+here,+Customer+would+be+able+to+take+restore+actions+on+their+one.++https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-recovery-services-vault-overview#:~:text=A%20Recovery%20Services%20vault%20is%20an%20entity%20that%20stores%20the,storage%20settings%20can%20be%20changed.++Cross+Region+Restore:+Cross+Region+Restore+(CRR)+allows+you+to+restore+Azure+VMs+in+a+secondary+region,+which+is+an+Azure+paired+region.+If+Azure+declares+a+disaster+in+the+primary+region,+the+data+replicated+in+the+secondary+region+is+available+to+restore+in+the+secondary+region+to+mitigate+real+downtime+disaster+in+the+primary+region+for+their+environment.+Learn+more.++3)+If+CRR+is+not+enabled,+could+I+still+restore+that+VM+in+the+secondary+region++Yes+for+GRS+enabled+RSV,+however+Customer+will+have+to+wait+while+Azure+declares+a+disaster+in+the+primary+region,+the+data+replicated+in+the+secondary+region+is+available+to+restore+in+the+secondary+region+to+mitigate+real+downtime+disaster+in+the+primary+region+for+their+environment.