MABS (Azure Backup Server) V4 (and later) protection matrix

This article lists the various servers and workloads that you can protect with Azure Backup Server. The following matrix lists what can be protected with Azure Backup Server.

The following table lists the support matrix for MABS v4 (and later):

Protection support matrix

The following sections details the protection support matrix for MABS:

• Applications Backup
• VM Backup
• Linux

Applications Backup

VM Backup

Linux

Operating systems and applications at end of support

Support for the following operating systems and applications in MABS are deprecated. We recommended you to upgrade them to continue protecting your data.

If the existing commitments prevent upgrading Windows Server or SQL Server, migrate them to Azure and use Azure Backup to protect the servers. For more information, see migration of Windows Server, apps and workloads.

For on-premises or hosted environments that you can't upgrade or migrate to Azure, activate Extended Security Updates for the machines for protection and support. Note that only limited editions are eligible for Extended Security Updates. For more information, see Frequently asked questions.

Cluster support

Azure Backup Server can protect data in the following clustered applications:

• File servers

• SQL Server

• Hyper-V - If you protect a Hyper-V cluster using scaled-out MABS protection agent, you can't add secondary protection for the protected Hyper-V workloads.

• Exchange Server - Azure Backup Server can protect non-shared disk clusters for supported Exchange Server versions (cluster-continuous replication), and can also protect Exchange Server configured for local continuous replication.

• SQL Server - Azure Backup Server doesn't support backing up SQL Server databases hosted on cluster-shared volumes (CSVs).

Azure Backup Server can protect cluster workloads that are located in the same domain as the MABS server, and in a child or trusted domain. If you want to protect data sources in untrusted domains or workgroups, use NTLM or certificate authentication for a single server, or certificate authentication only for a cluster.

Data protection issues

• MABS can't back up VMs using shared drives (which are potentially attached to other VMs) as the Hyper-V VSS writer can't back up volumes that are backed up by shared VHDs.

• When you protect a shared folder, the path to the shared folder includes the logical path on the volume. If you move the shared folder, protection will fail. If you must move a protected shared folder, remove it from its protection group and then add it to protection after the move. Also, if you change the path of a protected data source on a volume that uses the Encrypting File System (EFS) and the new file path exceeds 5120 characters, data protection will fail.

• You can't change the domain of a protected computer and continue protection without disruption. Also, you can't change the domain of a protected computer and associate the existing replicas and recovery points with the computer when it's reprotected. If you must change the domain of a protected computer, then first remove the data sources on the computer from protection. Then protect the data source on the computer after it has a new domain.

• You can't change the name of a protected computer and continue protection without disruption. Also, you can't change the name of a protected computer and associate the existing replicas and recovery points with the computer when it's reprotected. If you must change the name of a protected computer, then first remove the data sources on the computer from protection. Then protect the data source on the computer after it has a new name.

• MABS automatically identifies the time zone of a protected computer during installation of the protection agent. If a protected computer is moved to a different time zone after protection is configured, ensure that you change the computer time in Control Panel. Then update the time zone in the MABS database.

• MABS can protect workloads in the same domain as the MABS server, or in child and trusted domains. You can also protect the following workloads in workgroups and untrusted domains using NTLM or certificate authentication:

  • SQL Server
  • File Server
  • Hyper-V

  These workloads can be running on a single server or in a cluster configuration. To protect a workload that isn't in a trusted domain, see Prepare computers in workgroups and untrusted domains for exact details of what's supported and what authentication is required.

Unsupported data types

MABS doesn't support protecting the following data types:

• Hard links

• Reparse points, including DFS links and junction points

• Mount point metadata - A protection group can contain data with mount points. In this case DPM protects the mounted volume that is the target of the mount point, but it doesn't protect the mount point metadata. When you recover data containing mount points, you'll need to manually recreate your mount point hierarchy.

• Data in mounted volumes within mounted volumes

• Recycle Bin

• Paging files

• System Volume Information folder. To protect system information for a computer, you'll need to select the computer's system state as the protect group member.

• Non-NTFS volumes

• Files containing hard links or symbolic links from Windows Vista.

• Data on file shares hosting UPDs (User Profile Disks)

• Files with any of the following combinations of attributes:

  • Encryption and reparse

  • Encryption and Single Instance Storage (SIS)

  • Encryption and case-sensitivity

  • Encryption and sparse

  • Case-sensitivity and SIS

  • Compression and SIS

Next steps

• Support matrix for backup with Microsoft Azure Backup Server or System Center DPM