/azure-backup

name: azure-backup
description: Expert knowledge for Azure Backup development including troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. Use when protecting Azure VMs/AKS, SQL/SAP HANA/PostgreSQL, files/blobs/disks, or automating via REST/CLI/PowerShell, and other Azure Backup related development tasks. Not for Azure Site Recovery (use azure-site-recovery), Azure Virtual Machines (use azure-virtual-machines), Azure Virtual Network (use azure-virtual-network), Azure Virtual Machine Scale Sets (use azure-vm-scalesets).
compatibility: Requires network access. Uses mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch or fetch_webpage to retrieve documentation.
metadata:
  generated_at: "2026-11-08"
  generator: "docs2skills/1.0.0"

Azure Backup Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Backup. Covers troubleshooting, best practices, decision making, architecture & design patterns, limits & quotas, security, configuration, integrations & coding patterns, and deployment. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: Use the **Category Index** below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., `L35-L120`), use `read_file` with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., `[security.md](security.md)`), use `read_file` on the linked reference file

> **IMPORTANT for Agent**: If `metadata.generated_at` is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If `mcp_microsoftdocs` tools are not available, suggest the user install it: [Installation Guide](https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/mcp/blob/main/README.md)

This skill requires **network access** to fetch documentation content:

• **Preferred**: Use `mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill`. Returns Markdown.
• **Fallback**: Use `fetch_webpage` with query string `from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown`. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description | |----------|-------|-------------| | Troubleshooting | L37-L71 | Diagnosing and fixing Azure Backup issues across VMs, databases, files, disks, blobs, agents, and vaults, including backup, restore, monitoring, encryption, and workload-specific errors. | | Best Practices | L72-L81 | Best practices for securing Azure Backup data and configuring reliable backups/restores for Azure VMs, Hyper-V (MABS), DPM, SQL Always On, and other workloads. | | Decision Making | L82-L93 | Guidance on choosing backup/restore options, VM image support, crash-consistent backups, offline backups, reserved capacity discounts, alerts migration, and PostgreSQL v1→v2 backup migration. | | Architecture & Design Patterns | L94-L98 | Azure Backup’s architecture for protecting SAP HANA: components, data flow, backup/restore process, scalability, security, and integration with Azure storage and recovery services. | | Limits & Quotas | L99-L134 | Backup support matrices, limits, quotas, regions, and behaviors for Azure workloads (VMs, disks, files, blobs, databases, AKS), plus monitoring metrics and reporting constraints. | | Security | L135-L175 | Securing Azure Backup: ransomware protection, soft delete, immutable vaults, RBAC/MUA/Resource Guard, encryption/CMKs, private endpoints, AKS/VM/DB restore permissions, and threat detection. | | Configuration | L176-L265 | Configuring and operating Azure Backup: setup, policies, scripts/templates, diagnostics/monitoring, and restore workflows for VMs, AKS, SQL, SAP HANA, PostgreSQL, Files, Blobs, Disks, and on-prem agents. | | Integrations & Coding Patterns | L266-L318 | Automating Azure Backup via REST, CLI, PowerShell, and scripts: create vaults/policies, protect and restore VMs, disks, files, blobs, SQL/PostgreSQL, integrate alerts, and manage reports. | | Deployment | L319-L325 | Supported workload matrices and how to stop or manage protection for workloads in Microsoft Azure Backup Server (MABS) v3/v4, including RTM and UR1 variants. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL | |-------|-----| | Diagnose and fix Azure Data Lake Storage backup errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/azure-data-lake-storage-backup-troubleshoot | | Troubleshoot Azure Kubernetes Service backups with Azure Backup | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/azure-kubernetes-service-backup-troubleshoot | | Troubleshoot data recovery from Microsoft Azure Backup Server | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-alternate-dpm-server-troubleshoot | | Diagnose and fix Azure Backup Vault errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-backup-vault-troubleshoot | | Resolve Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Server backup and restore issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-database-postgresql-flex-troubleshoot | | Troubleshoot Azure Database for PostgreSQL backups with Azure Backup | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-database-postgresql-troubleshoot | | Diagnose and fix encrypted Azure VM backup errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-encrypted-vm-troubleshoot | | Troubleshoot Microsoft Azure Backup Server errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-mabs-troubleshoot | | Diagnose and fix Azure Backup agent errors | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-mars-troubleshoot | | Resolve Azure Backup monitoring and reporting issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-monitor-alert-faq | | Fix Azure Backup monitoring and protection status issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-monitor-troubleshoot | | Troubleshoot Azure MySQL Flexible Server backups using Azure Backup | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-azure-