Veeam/N2WS – Using External Repositories to Restore to Azure

Overview

In my last two posts, we’ve looked at setting up an N2WS S3 Repository, creating and then restoring files from an External Repository, and then creating backup copy jobs to copy the data in S3 to an on-prem backup repository.  In this post, we’ll use the external repository to restore an Amazon EC2 instance to Microsoft Azure.

Prerequisites

These are some things to keep in mind as you consider the Restore to Azure scenario:

• From wherever you run the VBR console, you’ll need Azure PowerShell.  Good news is if Azure PowerShell is not installed, you’ll be presented with a link to download and install as you begin the Azure restore.
• Let me also say this to be totally honest and upright, I’m no Azure expert and in this post I will not be showing you how to setup an Azure infrastructure according to best practices, I’m just telling you that you will be prompted for the following:
  • If restoring a Linux machine, you must configure a helper appliance
  • An Azure compute account – should be pretty self-explanatory
  • An Azure storage account – what?  Maybe this is self-explanatory to someone who knows Azure, but I didn’t know I needed a “storage account” until I tried to perform a restore and received an error message stating that my Azure region “does not have any associated storage accounts“.  So….I created one.
  • Azure Resource Groups – these are containers that help you manage your Azure resources.  You can create new resource groups within Veeam’s Restore to Azure wizard, but I created one beforehand in the Azure management console.
  • Azure Virtual Networks and Subnet – when performing an Azure restore, you will be prompted to select the desired Virtual network and Subnet.  You CANNOT create new networks/subnets within Veeam’s Restore to Azure wizard so create your Azure networking within the Azure management console prior to performing an Azure restore.
  • Azure Network Security Groups – as the name indicates, these allow/deny network traffic and just as with virtual networks and subnets, though you’ll have to option to specify a security group for a restored instance, you CANNOT create new security groups within the Restore to Azure wizard.  Thus, create any desired security groups within the Azure management console prior to performing an Azure restore.

Performing a Restore to Azure

1. Launch the VBR console and click Home | expand Backups | click External.  Expand a given external repository and then right-click the desired instance to restore and select Restore to Microsoft Azure.
2. In regards to the steps I show here, I did not add Azure cloud credentials prior to perform this restore, thus I was prompted to complete the initial configuration as shown below.  If Azure cloud credentials are setup prior to performing an Azure restore, you will not perform steps #2-7 as part of the restoration.  If prompted to complete the initial configuration, click Yes.
3. On the Initial Configuration screen, click Next.
4. On the Deployment Type screen, select Microsoft Azure, choose the appropriate Region (Global, Germany, China, Government), and then click Next.
5. On the Subscription screen, select Create a new account | Configure account
6. When prompted, enter your Microsoft Azure credentials and click Next to import your Azure configuration.
7. When returned to the Subscription screen, ensure the Azure account is specified and click Next.
8. On the Summary screen, ensure the correct Subscription is displayed and click Finish.
9. With the Azure account configuration completed, the restore wizard continues to the Subscription screen.  Specify the desired Subscription, Location, and Azure proxy VM then click Next to continue.

   NOTE: In my experience, the Restore to Azure wizard has assumed I want to restore the latest VM backup.  If you want to restore the instance to an earlier date, click Previous on the Subscription screen.  On the Machine screen, click Point to select the desired restore point.

   

10. On the VM Size screen, click Edit to specify the desired VM size and Azure storage account.
11. When prompted, select the VM Size and Storage account.  Click OK.
12. When returned to the VM Size screen, verify the desired VM size and storage account have been selected and click Next to continue.
13. On the Resource Group screen, click Name to set the restored VMs host name.
14. On the Change Name screen, specify the restored VM name and click OK.  The name you specify here must be between 1 – 15 characters.
15. When returned to the Resource Group screen, click Group to specify the resource group into which the VM will be placed.  When prompted for the group, you can assign the VM to an existing OR create a new resource group.  Click OK.
16. When returned to the Resource Group screen, verify the specified Name and Resource Group is acceptable and click Next to continue.
17. On the Network screen, click Network to specify the VMs network/subnet.
18. When prompted, select the desired Virtual network and Subnet.  Click OK.
19. When returned to the Network screen, click Group to specify the desired VM network security group.  When prompted, select the network security group and click OK.
20. When returned to the Network screen, verify the specified Virtual network and Network security group are acceptable and click Next to continue.
21. On the Secure Restore screen, you have the option to scan the restored VM for viruses or malware prior to finalizing the restore.  In this example, I did not perform a scan.  Make your choice and click Next to continue.
22. On the Reason screen, enter a Restore reason and click Next.
23. On the Ready to Restore screen, review the restoration settings and click Finish to begin the restoration.
24. The restoration progress can be monitored on the VM restore screen:
25. When the restore is complete, you should see the VM powered on within the Azure management console.
26. Finally, connect to and test the VM.

Final Thoughts

Wow!  That was really my initial thought.  Though it may seem like a lot of steps to perform, the restore was relatively easy and through the conduit of an N2WS S3 repository, we can now restore Amazon EC2 instance to Microsoft Azure…pretty incredible!…and this is just the first step of Veeam’s data management vision of “availability for any app, any data, across any cloud.”