| title | description | ms.date | ms.topic |
|---|---|---|---|
Support matrix for the MARS agent |
This article summarizes Azure Backup support when you back up machines that are running the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) agent. |
08/30/2019 |
conceptual |
You can use the Azure Backup service to back up on-premises machines and apps and to back up Azure virtual machines (VMs). This article summarizes support settings and limitations when you use the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) agent to back up machines.
Azure Backup uses the MARS agent to back up data from on-premises machines and Azure VMs to a backup Recovery Services vault in Azure. The MARS agent can:
- Run on on-premises Windows machines so that they can back up directly to a backup Recovery Services vault in Azure.
- Run on Windows VMs so that they can back up directly to a vault.
- Run on Microsoft Azure Backup Server (MABS) or a System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) server. In this scenario, machines and workloads back up to MABS or to the DPM server. The MARS agent then backs up this server to a vault in Azure.
Note
Azure Backup doesn't support automatic adjustment of clock for daylight savings time (DST). Modify the policy to ensure daylight savings is taken into account to prevent discrepancy between the actual time and scheduled backup time.
Your backup options depend on where the agent is installed. For more information, see Azure Backup architecture using the MARS agent. For information about MABS and DPM backup architecture, see Back up to DPM or MABS. Also see requirements for the backup architecture.
| Installation | Details |
|---|---|
| Download the latest MARS agent | You can download the latest version of the agent from the vault, or download it directly. |
| Install directly on a machine | You can install the MARS agent directly on an on-premises Windows server or on a Windows VM that's running any of the supported operating systems. |
| Install on a backup server | When you set up DPM or MABS to back up to Azure, you download and install the MARS agent on the server. You can install the agent on supported operating systems in the backup server support matrix. |
Note
By default, Azure VMs that are enabled for backup have an Azure Backup extension installation. This extension backs up the entire VM. You can install and run the MARS agent on an Azure VM alongside the extension if you want to back up specific folders and files, rather than the complete VM. When you run the MARS agent on an Azure VM, it backs up files or folders that are in temporary storage on the VM. Backups fail if the files or folders are removed from the temporary storage or if the temporary storage is removed.
When you use the MARS agent to back up data, the agent takes a snapshot of the data and stores it in a local cache folder before it sends the data to Azure. The cache (scratch) folder has several requirements:
| Cache | Details |
|---|---|
| Size | Free space in the cache folder should be at least 5 to 10 percent of the overall size of your backup data. |
| Location | The cache folder must be locally stored on the machine that's being backed up, and it must be online. The cache folder shouldn't be on a network share, on removable media, or on an offline volume. |
| Folder | The cache folder should not be encrypted on a deduplicated volume or in a folder that's compressed, that's sparse, or that has a reparse point. |
| Location changes | You can change the cache location by stopping the backup engine (net stop bengine) and copying the cache folder to a new drive. (Ensure the new drive has sufficient space.) Then update two registry entries under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Azure Backup (Config/ScratchLocation and Config/CloudBackupProvider/ScratchLocation) to the new location and restart the engine. |
The MARS agent needs access to these URLs:
- http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt
- *.Microsoft.com
- *.WindowsAzure.com
- *.MicrosoftOnline.com
- *.Windows.net
And to these IP addresses:
- 20.190.128.0/18
- 40.126.0.0/18
Access to all of the URLs and IP addresses listed above uses the HTTPS protocol on port 443.
You can back up your data over Azure ExpressRoute with public peering (available for old circuits) and Microsoft peering. Backup over private peering is not supported.
With public peering: Ensure access to the following domains/addresses:
http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txtmicrosoft.com.WindowsAzure.com.microsoftonline.com.windows.net
With Microsoft peering, please select the following services/regions and relevant community values:
- Azure Active Directory (12076:5060)
- Microsoft Azure Region (according to the location of your Recovery Services vault)
- Azure Storage (according to the location of your Recovery Services vault)
For more information, see the ExpressRoute routing requirements.
Note
Public Peering is deprecated for new circuits.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Bandwidth control | Supported. In the MARS agent, use Change Properties to adjust bandwidth. |
| Network throttling | Not available for backed-up machines that run Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, or Windows 7. |
Note
The MARS agent does not support Windows Server Core SKUs.
You can use the MARS agent to back up directly to Azure on the operating systems listed below that run on:
- On-premises Windows Servers
- Azure VMs running Windows
The operating systems must be 64 bit and should be running the latest services packs and updates. The following table summarizes these operating systems:
| Operating system | Files/folders | System state | Software/Module requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 (Enterprise, Pro, Home) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows 8.1 (Enterprise, Pro) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows 8 (Enterprise, Pro) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows Server 2016 (Standard, Datacenter, Essentials) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
| Windows Server 2012 R2 (Standard, Datacenter, Foundation, Essentials) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
| Windows Server 2012 (Standard, Datacenter, Foundation) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 -Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 - Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) |
| Windows Storage Server 2016/2012 R2/2012 (Standard, Workgroup) | Yes | No | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
| Windows Server 2019 (Standard, Datacenter, Essentials) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Latest Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 |
For more information, see Supported MABS and DPM operating systems.
The following operating systems are at the end of support and it is strongly recommended to upgrade the operating system to continue to stay protected.
If existing commitments prevent upgrading the operating system, consider migrating the Windows servers to Azure VMs and leverage Azure VM backups to continue staying protected. Visit the migration page here for more information about migrating your Windows server.
For on-premises or hosted environments, where you cannot upgrade the operating system or migrate to Azure, activate Extended Security Updates for the machines to continue staying protected and supported. Notice that only specific editions are eligible for Extended Security Updates. Visit the FAQ page to learn more.
| Operating system | Files/folders | System state | Software/Module requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 7 (Ultimate, Enterprise, Pro, Home Premium/Basic, Starter) | Yes | No | Check the corresponding server version for software/module requirements |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Foundation) | Yes | Yes | - .NET 3.5, .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 - Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) |
| Windows Server 2008 SP2 (Standard, Datacenter, Foundation) | Yes | No | - .NET 3.5, .NET 4.5 - Windows PowerShell - Compatible Microsoft VC++ Redistributable - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 - Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) - Virtual Server 2005 base + KB KB948515 |
Azure Backup limits the size of a file or folder data source that can be backed up. The items that you back up from a single volume can't exceed the sizes summarized in this table:
| Operating system | Size limit |
|---|---|
| Windows Server 2012 or later | 54,400 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 | 1,700 GB |
| Windows Server 2008 SP2 | 1,700 GB |
| Windows 8 or later | 54,400 GB |
| Windows 7 | 1,700 GB |
- MARS does not support protection of multiple machines with the same name to a single vault.
| Type | Support |
|---|---|
| Encrypted* | Supported. |
| Compressed | Supported. |
| Sparse | Supported. |
| Compressed and sparse | Supported. |
| Hard links | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Reparse point | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Encrypted and sparse | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Compressed stream | Not supported. Skipped. |
| Sparse stream | Not supported. Skipped. |
| OneDrive (synced files are sparse streams) | Not supported. |
| Folders with DFS Replication enabled | Not supported. |
* Ensure that the MARS agent has access to the required certificates to access the encrypted files. Inaccessible files will be skipped.
| Drive/volume | Support | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Read-only volumes | Not supported | Volume Copy Shadow Service (VSS) works only if the volume is writable. |
| Offline volumes | Not supported | VSS works only if the volume is online. |
| Network share | Not supported | The volume must be local on the server. |
| BitLocker-locked volumes | Not supported | The volume must be unlocked before the backup starts. |
| File system identification | Not supported | Only NTFS is supported. |
| Removable media | Not supported | All backup item sources must have a fixed status. |
| Deduplicated drives | Supported | Azure Backup converts deduplicated data to normal data. It optimizes, encrypts, stores, and sends the data to the vault. |
Azure Backup supports offline seeding to transfer initial backup data to Azure by using disks. This support is helpful if your initial backup is likely to be in the size range of terabytes (TBs). Offline backup is supported for:
- Direct backup of files and folders on on-premises machines that are running the MARS agent.
- Backup of workloads and files from a DPM server or MABS.
Offline backup can't be used for system state files.
By using the Instant Restore feature of Azure Backup, you can restore data before it's copied to the vault. The machine you're backing up must be running .NET Framework 4.5.2 or higher.
Backups can't be restored to a target machine that's running an earlier version of the operating system. For example, a backup taken from a computer that's running Windows 7 can be restored on Windows 8 or later. But a backup taken from a computer that's running Windows 8 can't be restored on a computer that's running Windows 7.
- Learn more about backup architecture that uses the MARS agent.
- Learn what's supported when you run the MARS agent on MABS or a DPM server.