Overview of Backups

Nerdio Manager's Backup module allows you to administer backups for all your critical AVD resources, including session hosts for personal and pooled desktops, desktop images, servers (virtual machines), and Azure Files shares.

Prerequisite Settings: Configure Recovery Vaults, Policies, and Assignments

Before Nerdio Manager can start protecting your resources, you must first configure the following:

• Recovery Vaults: This is "where" the backups are stored.

• Policies: This is "when" the backups are performed. For example, daily, weekly, etc.

• Assignments: This is "what" resources are to be protected. For example, desktop images, Azure Files shares, etc.

Recovery Vaults

Recovery vaults determine where backups are stored. You must link an existing recovery vault or add a new recovery vault.

To link an existing recovery vault:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Settings > Integrations.

2. Locate the Backup recovery vaults, policies and assignments tile.

   

3. Select Link vault.

   

4. From the drop-down list, select the Recovery Vault you wish to link and select OK.

   Nerdio Manager is now aware of the vault in Azure.

To create a new recovery vault:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Settings > Integrations.

2. In the Backup recovery vaults, policies and assignments tile, select Add vault.

   

3. Enter the following information:

   • Name: Type the name of the vault.

     Note: The name must be unique to the Azure subscription. Specify a name that has at least 2 but not more than 50 characters. The name must start with a letter and consist only of letters, numbers, and hyphens.

   • Resource Group: From the drop-down list, select the resource group where the vault should be created.

   • Region: From the drop-down list, select the region where the vault should be created.

     Note: The vault must be in the same region as the data source.

   • Replication Type: From the drop-down list, select the replication type.

     Note:

     • Select locally-redundant if you do not use Azure as a primary backup storage endpoint. This reduces storage costs.

     • Select geo-redundant if you are using Azure as a primary backup storage endpoint.

4. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Save.

   Note: Nerdio Manager validates the name you entered to ensure it follows Azure Recovery Vault naming requirements. A task is initiated to create the vault. You can monitor the task's progress in the Integrations Tasks section.

Policies

Policies determine when backups are performed.

Once a vault is created, Nerdio Manager creates a default backup policy by default for the vault called DefaultPolicy.

You can now create new backup policies for the vault.

Companion Video

To create a new backup policy:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Settings > Integrations.

2. In the Backup recovery vaults, policies and assignments tile, locate the vault you wish to work with.

3. Select Add policy.

   

4. Enter the following information:

   • Name: Type the name of the policy.

     Note: The name must start with a letter and consist only of letters, numbers, and hyphens.

   • Type: From the drop-down list, select the backup source-- Azure Files or Virtual Machines.

   • Frequency: From the drop-down lists, select the backup frequency settings.

   • Retention: Select the desired retention type(s).

     Note: The Daily retention is always selected. You may select any, or all, of the other retention types.

     • For Daily retention:

       

       • Duration (days): Type the retention duration in days.

     • For Weekly retention:

       

       • Retention of weekly backup point: Toggle this option on.

       • Duration (weeks): Type the retention duration in weeks.

       • Days: From the drop-down list, select the day(s) of the week.

     • For Monthly retention:

       

       • Retention of monthly backup point: Toggle this option on.

       • Week based or Day Based: Select whether to use a week-based or day-based configuration.

       • Duration (months): Type the retention duration in months.

       • Weeks: If you select week-based-configuration, from the drop-down list, select the week(s) of the month.

       • Days: From the drop-down list, select the day(s) of the week.

     • For Yearly retention:

       

       • Retention of yearly backup point: Toggle this option on.

       • Week based or Day Based: Select whether to use a week-based or day-based configuration.

       • Duration (years): Type the retention duration in years.

       • Months: From the drop-down list, select the months(s) of the year.

       • Weeks: If you select week-based-configuration,from the drop-down list, select the week(s) of the month.

       • Days: From the drop-down list, select the day(s) of the week.

   • Snapshot: For Virtual Machine policy only, type the number of instant recovery snapshots to retain.

   • Backup Validation Schedule: Toggle this option on to run automatic backup validation and then create the validation schedule.

     • Use Boot Diagnostics Insights: Select the this option to perform boot diagnostics. See Overview of Boot Diagnostic Insights for details.

     • Disable Virtual Machine Internet Access during Validation: Select this option to disable internet access for the validation virtual machine to prevent alerts from being generated by monitoring tools.

5. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Save.

Assignments

Assignments determine what is to be protected. This assignment must be done by Azure region as determined by the region you selected for the vault when you first created it.

To assign a policy to resources:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Settings > Integrations.

2. In the Backup recovery vaults, policies and assignments tile, scroll down to the Protected regions section.

   

3. Locate the protected region you wish to work with, and select Assign policy to resources.

   

4. Select the backup policy for each of the resources.

5. Once you have entered all the desired information, select Save.

Backups

The Backup page displays a list of all resources that Nerdio Manager allows you to backup. This includes session hosts, desktop images, servers, and Azure Files shares.

Restore from a Backup

Nerdio Manager allows you to restore resources from a backup recovery point. This requires that at least one successful backup was performed.

Companion Video

To restore resources from a backup:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Backup.

2. Locate the Backup you wish to work with and select Restore.

   • For Azure Files shares resources:

     

     • Recovery Point: From the drop-down list, select the desired recovery point.

     • Select files and/or folders: Search for desired files and/or folders to restore.

     • Restore Options: Select the desired restore option.

       Note:

       • Overwrite: If the restored file already exists on the file share, it is overwritten.

       • Skip: If the restored file already exists on the file share, it is skipped.

   • For all other types of resources:

     

     • From the drop-down list, select the desired recovery point and then select OK.

3. Once you have entered all the desired information, select OK.

   The restore task starts. You can monitor the task's progress in the Backup Tasks section.

Perform an Immediate Backup

Nerdio Manager allows you to perform an immediate backup, regardless of the backup's schedule.

To perform an immediate backup:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Backup.

2. Locate the Backup you wish to work with.

3. From the action menu, select Backup now.

4. On the confirmation pop-up, select OK.

   The backup task starts. You can monitor the task's progress in the Backup Tasks section.

Enable Backups

Nerdio Manager automatically enables backups for resources according to the policy and assignments you created on the Settings > Integrations page. For all other resources, you must manually enable the backup.

To enable backups:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Backup.

2. Locate the resource you wish to work with and select Enable backup.

   

3. From the drop-down list, select the backup policy to use and then select OK.

   Note: The policies that are displayed in the drop-down list depend on the linked vaults and Azure region of the resource.

Disable Backups

Nerdio Manager allows you to disable backups.

To disable backups:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Backup.

2. Locate the resource with an enabled Backup you wish to work with.

3. From the action menu, select Disable backup.

   

4. Optionally, select Remove previous backups to destroy all previous backups of this resource, in addition to disabling all future backups.

   Warning: Selecting Remove previous backups is irreversible. Be very careful when selecting this option.

5. Select OK to confirm disabling the backup.

Enable Backup Restore Validation

Enabling Backup Restore Validation allows you to schedule the automated backup restore validation feature per backup policies and perform ad hoc validations on the Backup page.

To enable backup restore validation:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Settings > Integrations.

2. In the Backup recovery vaults, policies and assignments tile, select Backup Restore Validation.

   

3. On the confirmation pop-up window, select OK.

Validate Backups

Nerdio Manager allows you to validate backups.

To validate backups:

1. At the Account level, navigate to Backup.

2. Locate the resource with an enabled Backup you wish to work with.

3. From the action menu, select Validate.

   

4. Make the following selections:

   • Recovery Point: From the drop-down list, select the recovery point.

   • Use Boot Diagnostics Insights: Select the this option to perform boot diagnostics. See Overview of Boot Diagnostic Insights for details.

   • Disable Virtual Machine Internet Access during Validation: Select this option to disable internet access for the validation virtual machine to prevent alerts from being generated by monitoring tools.

5. Once you have made the desired selections, select OK.

   The validation task starts. You can follow the task's progress in the Backup Tasks section.