Merge pull request #174949 from v-amallick/Oct-7-2021-AFS

AFS documentation updates

Author: ttorble

articles/backup/backup-afs.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: Back up Azure file shares in the Azure portal
 description: Learn how to use the Azure portal to back up Azure file shares in the Recovery Services vault
 ms.topic: conceptual
-ms.date: 05/07/2021
+ms.date: 10/08/2021
 ---
 
 # Back up Azure file shares
@@ -80,9 +80,9 @@ The following steps explain how you can configure backup for multiple file share
 
          ![Create new policy](./media/backup-afs/create-new-policy.png)
 
-      1. The **Backup Policy** context pane opens on the right. Specify a policy name in the text box and choose the retention period according to your requirement. Only the daily retention option is enabled by default. If you want to have weekly, monthly, or yearly retention, select the corresponding checkbox and provide the desired retention value.
+      1. Follow the steps 3-7 in the [Create a new policy](manage-afs-backup.md#create-a-new-policy) section.
 
-      1. After specifying the retention values and a valid policy name, select **OK**.<br>
+      1. After defining all attributes of the policy, click **OK**.
 
          ![Give policy name and retention values](./media/backup-afs/policy-name.png)
 
@@ -142,9 +142,9 @@ The following steps explain how you can configure backup for individual file sha
 
          1. Select the **Create a new policy** link text.
 
-         2. The **Backup Policy** context pane opens on the right. Specify a policy name in the text box and choose the retention period according to your requirement. Only the daily retention option is enabled by default. If you want to have weekly, monthly, or yearly retention, select the corresponding checkbox and provide the desired retention value.
+         2. Follow the steps 3-7 in the [Create a new policy](manage-afs-backup.md#create-a-new-policy) section.
 
-         3. After specifying the retention values and a valid policy name, select **OK**.
+         3. After defining all attributes of the policy, click **OK**.
 
             ![Create new backup policy](./media/backup-afs/create-new-backup-policy.png)
 

articles/backup/backup-azure-files-faq.yml

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 metadata:
   title: Back up Azure Files FAQ
   description: In this article, discover answers to common questions about how to protect your Azure file shares with the Azure Backup service.
-  ms.date: 04/22/2020
+  ms.date: 10/08/2021
   ms.topic: article
   ms.service: backup
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ sections:
       - question: |
           Why can't I change the vault to configure backup for the file share?
         answer: |
-          If the storage account is already registered with a vault or other file shares in the storage account are protected using a vault , you aren't given an option to change it. All file shares in a storage account can be protected only by the same vault. If you want to change the vault, you'll need to [stop protection for all file shares in the storage account](manage-afs-backup.md#stop-protection-on-a-file-share) from the connected vault, [unregister](manage-afs-backup.md#unregister-a-storage-account) the Storage Account, and then choose a different vault for protection.
+          If the storage account is already registered with a vault or other file shares in the storage account are protected using a vault, you aren't given an option to change it. All file shares in a storage account can be protected only by the same vault. If you want to change the vault, you'll need to [stop protection for all file shares in the storage account](manage-afs-backup.md#stop-protection-on-a-file-share) from the connected vault, [unregister](manage-afs-backup.md#unregister-a-storage-account) the Storage Account, and then choose a different vault for protection.
           
       - question: |
           Can I change the Vault to which I back up my file shares?
@@ -85,15 +85,15 @@ sections:
       - question: |
           Why Azure Files backups doesn't replicate based on the Storage Replication Type setting of the vault?
         answer: |
-          The Storage Replication setting of the vault isn't relevant for Azure Files backup. This is because the current solution is snapshot based and there's no data transferred to the vault. Snapshots are stored in the same storage account as the backed-up file share, and therefore replicated as per the replication setting of storage account.
+          The Storage Replication setting of the vault isn't relevant for Azure Files backup. This is because the current solution is snapshot-based and there's no data transferred to the vault. Snapshots are stored in the same storage account as the backed-up file share, and therefore replicated as per the replication setting of storage account.
           
       - question: |
           Can I access the snapshots taken by Azure Backups and mount them?
         answer: |
           All snapshots taken by Azure Backup can be accessed by viewing snapshots in the portal, PowerShell, or CLI. To learn more about Azure Files share snapshots, see [Overview of share snapshots for Azure Files](../storage/files/storage-snapshots-files.md).
           
       - question: |
-          What happens after I move a backed up file share to a different subscription?
+          What happens after I move a backed-up file share to a different subscription?
         answer: |
           Once a file share is moved to a different subscription, it's considered as a new file share by Azure Backup. These are the recommended steps:
            
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@ sections:
           Note that after reconfiguring backup with V2, the snapshots that were taken with V1 will no longer be managed by Azure Backup. So you'll have to delete those snapshots manually according to your requirements.
           
       - question: |
-          Can I move my backed up file share to a different resource group?
+          Can I move my backed-up file share to a different resource group?
         answer: |
-          Yes, you can move your backed up file share to a different resource group. However, you'll need to reconfigure backup for the file share as it will be treated as a new resource by Azure Backup. Also, the snapshots that were created before the resource group move will no longer be managed by Azure backup. So you'll have to delete those snapshots manually according to your requirements.
+          Yes, you can move your backed-up file share to a different resource group. However, you'll need to reconfigure backup for the file share as it will be treated as a new resource by Azure Backup. Also, the snapshots that were created before the resource group move will no longer be managed by Azure backup. So you'll have to delete those snapshots manually according to your requirements.
 
       - question: |
           What is the maximum retention I can configure for backups?
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ sections:
       - question: |
           What is the impact on existing recovery points when I modify an existing GFS Policy?
         answer: |
-          When a new policy is applied on file shares, all the future scheduled backups will be taken according to the schedule configured in the modified policy.  The retention of all existing recovery points is aligned according to the new retention values configured. So if the retention is extended, existing recovery points are marked to be retained according to the new policy. If the retention is reduced, they're marked for clean-up in the next cleanup job and then deleted.
+          When a new policy is applied on file shares, all the future scheduled backups will be taken according to the schedule configured in the modified policy.  The retention of all existing recovery points is aligned according to the new retention values configured. So, if the retention is extended, existing recovery points are marked to be retained according to the new policy. If the retention is reduced, they're marked for clean-up in the next cleanup job and then deleted.
           
           Here's an example of how this works:
           
@@ -193,6 +193,62 @@ sections:
           >[!NOTE]
           >The policy changes will affect only the recovery points created as part of the scheduled backup. For on-demand backups, retention is determined by the **Retain Till** value specified at the time of taking the backup.
 
+      - question: |
+          What does the duration attribute in Azure Files backup policy signify?
+        answer: |
+          The **duration** attribute helps to determine the timestamp for last backup of the day. 
+
+          For example, if the **start time** is “x AM” and **duration** is “y hours”, the backups will be scheduled between “x AM” and (x AM + y hours) based on the **schedule** attribute defined in the policy. This attribute enables you to ensure backups are only triggered during your working hours when there're frequent update operations on file share contents; therefore, taking multiple snapshots will safeguard data from any accidental changes.
+
+      - question: |
+          How are the backups scheduled based on the attributes - start time, schedule, and duration?
+        answer: |
+          For example, you created a policy with the following configuration:
+
+          - **Start time**: 9 AM
+          - **Schedule**: Every 4 hours
+          - **Duration**: 12 hours
+
+          Based on these values, the backup window is calculated as 9 AM – (9 AM + 12 hours), that is, 9 AM – 9 PM. Therefore, all backups will be scheduled within this window.
+
+          The first backup of the day is triggered at the start time mentioned in the policy, that is, 9 AM, and the **schedule** determines the time difference between consecutive backups, that is, 4 hours. With this calculation, your backup schedule would be: 9 AM, 1 PM (9 AM + 4 hours), 5 PM (1 PM + 4 hours), and 9 PM (5 PM + 4 hours).
+
+          Since the end time of the backup window we calculated was 9 PM, no backup would be triggered after this time.
+
+      - question: |
+          Why am I getting the error “The selected configuration will trigger only 1 backup per day”?
+        answer: |
+          This error occurs if you specified a **schedule** that's greater than the **duration**. For example, you've configured **start time** as 9 AM, **schedule** as 6 hours, and **duration** as 4 hours. In this scenario, the only time when backup job can trigger is 9 AM, since the next backup time of 3 PM (9 AM + 6 hours) is outside the backup window: 9 AM – 1 PM (9 AM + 4 hours).
+
+          To fix this, we recommend you adjust your schedule or duration, or select **Daily** frequency instead of **Hourly**.
+
+      - question: |
+          Why am I getting the error “The selected configuration extends backup window to next day”?
+        answer: |
+          This error occurs if the backup window's **start time** and **end time**, determined based on the backup **schedule** and **duration**, falls on two different days.
+
+          For example, you configured a policy with the following parameters:
+
+          - **Schedule**: Every 4 hours
+          - **Start time**: 12 PM
+          - **Duration**: 15 hours
+
+          Based on this configuration, the backup window will be: 12 PM – 3 AM (12 PM + 15 hours). Since the start and end times are falling on two different days, we recommend you adjust the **start time** or **duration** to ensure they are on the same day.
+
+          Let’s assume, you change the start time to 6 AM in the above configuration. Now, the backup window will be 6 AM – 9 PM (6 AM + 15 hours). This is a supported configuration.
+
+      - question: |
+          What’s the impact on the existing recovery points when I switch from “Daily” to “Hourly” frequency?
+        answer: |
+          When you switch from **Daily** to **Hourly** frequency, the behavior is as follows:
+
+          - **Retention**: If you're adding weekly/monthly/yearly retention as part of modifying the policy, all the future recovery points created as part of the scheduled backup will be tagged according to the new policy. All the existing recovery points will still be considered as daily recovery points; so, they won’t be tagged as weekly/monthly/yearly.
+
+          - **Snapshots and recovery points cleanup**:
+
+            - If daily retention is extended, the expiration date of the existing daily recovery points is updated according to the daily retention value configured in the new policy.
+            - If daily retention is reduced, the existing daily recovery points and snapshots are marked for deletion in the next cleanup run job according to the daily retention value configured in the new policy, and then deleted.
+
 additionalContent: |
 
   ## Next steps

articles/backup/manage-afs-backup.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: Manage Azure file share backups
 description: This article describes common tasks for managing and monitoring the Azure file shares that are backed up by Azure Backup.
 ms.topic: conceptual
-ms.date: 01/07/2020
+ms.date: 10/08/2021
 ---
 
 # Manage Azure file share backups
@@ -25,31 +25,65 @@ To open the **Backup Jobs** page:
 
 ## Monitor using Azure Backup reports
 
-Azure Backup provides a reporting solution that uses [Azure Monitor logs](../azure-monitor/logs/log-analytics-tutorial.md) and [Azure workbooks](../azure-monitor/visualize/workbooks-overview.md).These resources help you get rich insights into your backups. You can leverage these reports to gain visibility into Azure Files backup items, jobs at item level and details of active policies. Using the Email Report feature available in Backup Reports, you can create automated tasks to receive periodic reports via email.[Learn](/azure/backup/configure-reports#get-started) how to configure and view Azure Backup reports.
+Azure Backup provides a reporting solution that uses [Azure Monitor logs](../azure-monitor/logs/log-analytics-tutorial.md) and [Azure workbooks](../azure-monitor/visualize/workbooks-overview.md). These resources help you get rich insights into your backups. You can leverage these reports to gain visibility into Azure Files backup items, jobs at item level and details of active policies. Using the Email Report feature available in Backup Reports, you can create automated tasks to receive periodic reports via email.[Learn](/azure/backup/configure-reports#get-started) how to configure and view Azure Backup reports.
 
 ## Create a new policy
 
 You can create a new policy to back up Azure file shares from the **Backup policies** section of the Recovery Services vault. All policies created when you configured backup for file shares show up with the **Policy Type** as **Azure File Share**.
 
-To view the existing backup policies:
+To create a new backup policy, follow these steps:
 
-1. Open the Recovery Services vault you used to configure the backup for the file share. On the Recovery Services vault menu, select **Backup policies** under the **Manage** section. All the backup policies configured in the vault appear.
+1. In the **Backup policies** pane of the Recovery Services vault, select **+ Add**.
 
-   ![All backup policies](./media/manage-afs-backup/all-backup-policies.png)
+   :::image type="content" source="./media/manage-afs-backup/new-backup-policy.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing the option to start creating a new backup policy.":::
 
-1. To view policies specific to **Azure File Share**, select **Azure File Share** from the drop-down list on the upper right.
+1. In the **Add** pane, select **Azure File Share** as the **Policy Type**.
+
+   :::image type="content" source="./media/manage-afs-backup/define-policy-type.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing to select Azure File Share as the policy type.":::
+
+1. As the **Backup policy** pane for **Azure File Share** opens, specify the policy name.
+
+1. In **Backup schedule**,  select an appropriate frequency for the backups - **Daily** or **Hourly**.
+
+   :::image type="content" source="./media/manage-afs-backup/backup-frequency-types.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing the frequency types for backups.":::
+
+   - **Daily**: Triggers one backup per day. For daily frequency, select the appropriate values for:
 
-   ![Select Azure File Share](./media/manage-afs-backup/azure-file-share.png)
+     - **Time**: The timestamp when the backup job needs to be triggered.
+     - **Time zone**: The corresponding time zone for the backup job.
 
-To create a new backup policy:
+   - **Hourly**: Triggers multiple backups per day. For hourly frequency, select the appropriate values for:
+   
+     - **Schedule**: The time interval (in hours) between the consecutive backups.
+     - **Start time**: The time when the first backup job of the day needs to be triggered.
+     - **Duration**: Represents the backup window (in hours), that is, the time span in which the backup jobs need to be triggered as per the selected schedule.
+     - **Time zone**: The corresponding time zone for the backup job.
+     
+     For example, you’ve the RPO (recovery point objective) requirement of 4 hours and your working hours are 9 AM to 9 PM. To meet these requirements, the configuration for backup schedule would be:
+    
+     - Schedule: Every 4 hours
+     - Start time: 9 AM 
+     - Duration: 12 hours 
+     
+     :::image type="content" source="./media/manage-afs-backup/hourly-backup-frequency-values-scenario.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing an example of hourly backup frequency values.":::
 
-1. In the **Backup policies** pane, select **+ Add**.
+     Based on your selection, the backup job details (the time stamps when backup job would be triggered) display on the backup policy blade.
 
-   ![New backup policy](./media/manage-afs-backup/new-backup-policy.png)
+1. In **Retention range**, specify appropriate retention values for backups - tagged as daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
 
-1. In the **Add** pane, select **Azure File Share** as the **Policy Type**. The **Backup policy** pane for **Azure File Share** opens. Specify the policy name, backup frequency, and retention range for the recovery points. After you define the policy, select **OK**.
+1. After defining all attributes of the policy, click **Create**.
+  
+### View policy
+
+To view the existing backup policies:
+
+1. Open the Recovery Services vault you used to configure the backup for the file share. On the Recovery Services vault menu, select **Backup policies** under the **Manage** section. All the backup policies configured in the vault appear.
+
+   :::image type="content" source="./media/manage-afs-backup/all-backup-policies.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing the all backup policies.":::
+
+1. To view policies specific to **Azure File Share**, select **Azure File Share** from the drop-down list on the upper right.
 
-   ![Define the backup policy](./media/manage-afs-backup/define-backup-policy.png)
+   :::image type="content" source="./media/manage-afs-backup/azure-file-share.png" alt-text="Screenshot showing the process to select Azure File Share.":::
 
 ## Modify policy
 
@@ -126,7 +160,7 @@ To resume protection for the Azure file share:
 
 ## Delete backup data
 
-You can delete the backup of a file share during the **Stop backup** job, or any time after you stop protection. It might be beneficial to wait days or even weeks before you delete the recovery points. When you delete backup data, you can't choose specific recovery points to delete. If you decide to delete your backup data, you delete all recovery points associated with the file share.
+You can delete the backup of a file share during the **Stop backup** job, or anytime after you stop protection. It might be beneficial to wait days or even weeks before you delete the recovery points. When you delete backup data, you can't choose specific recovery points to delete. If you decide to delete your backup data, you delete all recovery points associated with the file share.
 
 The following procedure assumes that the protection was stopped for the file share.