Introduction

In cloud environments, accidentally overwriting production files can be a nerve-wracking experience. This post walks through the process of recovering individual files from Azure VM backups.

Prerequisites

  • Azure subscription with VM backup enabled
  • Access to Azure Portal
  • Backup retention period covering the desired recovery point

File-Level Recovery Process

1. Identify the Recovery Point

First, locate the specific backup point before the file was modified:

  1. Navigate to the Azure Portal
  2. Select the VM in question
  3. Go to “Backup & restore”
  4. Choose “File Recovery”
  5. Select a recovery point prior to the file modification

2. Mount the Recovery Point

Mount the recovery drive

Azure will provide specific mounting instructions

One of the nice things about Azure is it builds a binary that does all the mounting work. Other cloud providers often require you to do all this work manually, and also remember to clean up the cloned disks later, and Azure makes all that easy.

3. Locate and Recover the File

  1. Browse the mounted recovery point
  2. Navigate to the file location
  3. Copy the desired file version
  4. Verify file integrity
  5. Replace the current version

4. Clean Up

Unmount the recovery drive when finished

This is as simple as clicking the Unmount button in the Azure GUI, and they get automatically removed from the VM.

Best Practices

  1. Always maintain multiple backup points
  2. Document file locations for critical assets
  3. Implement proper access controls
  4. Test recovery procedures regularly
  5. Consider implementing file versioning

Additional Considerations

Backup Strategy

  • Implement frequent backup intervals for critical systems
  • Use Azure Backup’s instant restore feature for faster recovery
  • Consider geo-redundant storage for backups

Monitoring and Alerts

Set up monitoring for:

  • Backup success/failure
  • Storage usage
  • Recovery time objectives (RTO)
  • Recovery point objectives (RPO)

Conclusion

While accidents happen, having a solid backup strategy and understanding the recovery process ensures minimal impact to production systems. Regular testing and documentation of recovery procedures is crucial for maintaining system reliability.