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Requirements and considerations for Azure NetApp Files backup

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This article describes the requirements and considerations you need to be aware of before using Azure NetApp Files backup.

Requirements and considerations

You need to be aware of several requirements and considerations before using Azure NetApp Files backup:

Important

All backups require a backup vault. If you have existing backups, you must migrate backups to a backup vault before you can perform any operation with a backup. For more information, see Manage backup vaults.

  • Azure NetApp Files backup is available in the regions associated with your Azure NetApp Files subscription. Azure NetApp Files backup in a region can only protect an Azure NetApp Files volume located in that same region. For example, backups created by the service in West US 2 for a volume located in West US 2 are sent to Azure storage also located in West US 2. Azure NetApp Files doesn't support backups or backup replication to a different region.

  • There can be a delay of up to 5 minutes in displaying a backup after the backup is actually completed.

  • For volumes larger than 10 TB, it can take multiple hours to transfer all the data from the backup media.

  • The Azure NetApp Files backup feature supports backing up the daily, weekly, and monthly local snapshots to the Azure storage. Hourly backups aren't currently supported.

  • Azure NetApp Files backup uses the Zone-Redundant storage (ZRS) account that replicates the data synchronously across three Azure availability zones in the region, except for the regions listed where only Locally Redundant Storage (LRS) storage is supported:

    • West US

    LRS can recover from server-rack and drive failures. However, if a disaster such as a fire or flooding occurs within the data center, all replicas of a storage account using LRS might be lost or unrecoverable.

  • Policy-based (scheduled) Azure NetApp Files backup is independent from snapshot policy configuration.

  • In a cross-region replication (CRR) or cross-zone replication (CZR) setting, Azure NetApp Files backup can be configured on a source volume only. Azure NetApp Files backup isn't supported on a CRR or CZR destination volume.

  • See Restore a backup to a new volume for additional considerations related to restoring backups.

  • Disabling backups for a volume will delete all the backups stored in the Azure storage for that volume. If you delete a volume, the backups will remain. If you no longer need the backups, you should manually delete the backups.

  • If you need to delete a parent resource group or subscription that contains backups, you should delete any backups first. Deleting the resource group or subscription won't delete the backups. You can remove backups by disabling backups or manually deleting the backups. If you delete the resource group without disabling backups, backups will continue to impact your billing.

  • If you use the standard storage with cool access, see Manage Azure NetApp Files standard storage with cool access for more considerations.

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