Merge pull request #301624 from AbhishekMallick01/Jun-20-2025-Freshness

Freshness - Restore files to Win Server using MARS

Author: v-ccolin

articles/backup/backup-azure-file-folder-backup-faq.yml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ metadata:
   description: Addresses common questions about backing up files and folders with Azure Backup.
   ms.topic: faq
   ms.service: azure-backup
-  ms.date: 10/25/2024
+  ms.date: 06/20/2025
   author: jyothisuri
   ms.author: jsuri
 title: Frequently asked questions - Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) agent
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ sections:
           
           * You need to register the new machine name with recovery services vault.
           * When you register the new name with the vault, the first operation is a *full* backup.
-          * If you need to recover data backed up to the vault with the old server name, use the option to restore to an alternate location in the Recover Data Wizard. [Learn more](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#use-instant-restore-to-restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine).
+          * If you need to recover data backed up to the vault with the old server name, use the option to restore to an alternate location in the Recover Data Wizard. [Learn more](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine-using-instant-restore).
           
       - question: |
           What is the maximum file path length for backup?
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ sections:
 
           | Original Machine | Passphrase | Available Options |
           | --- | --- | --- |
-          | Lost |Available |You can install and register the MARS agent on another machine with the same passphrase that you provided during registration of the original machine. Choose **Recovery Option** > **Another location** to perform your restore. For more information, see this [article](./backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#use-instant-restore-to-restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine).
+          | Lost |Available |You can install and register the MARS agent on another machine with the same passphrase that you provided during registration of the original machine. Choose **Recovery Option** > **Another location** to perform your restore. For more information, see this [article](./backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine-using-instant-restore).
           | Lost |Lost |Not possible to recover the data or data isn't available |
 
       - question: |

articles/backup/backup-azure-manage-mars.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: Manage and monitor MARS Agent backups
 description: Learn how to manage and monitor Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) Agent backups by using the Azure Backup service.
 ms.reviewer: srinathv
 ms.topic: how-to
-ms.date: 06/18/2025
+ms.date: 06/20/2025
 ms.service: azure-backup
 ms.custom: engagement-fy23
 author: jyothisuri
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ For these machines, the Azure Backup service ensures that the latest recovery po
 Managing the backup policy for MARS is done through the MARS console and not through the portal. If you need to extend retention settings for existing recovery points before they expire, then you need to restore the machine, install the MARS console, and extend the policy.
 
 - To restore the machine, perform the following steps:
-  1. [Restore the VM to an alternate target machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#use-instant-restore-to-restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine)
+  1. [Restore the VM to an alternate target machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine-using-instant-restore)
   1. Recreate the target machine with same host name as the source machine
   1. Install the agent and re-register to the same vault and with the same passphrase
   1. Launch the MARS client to extend the retention duration according to your requirements

articles/backup/backup-azure-mars-troubleshoot.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: Troubleshoot the Azure Backup agent
 description: In this article, learn how to troubleshoot the installation and registration of the Azure Backup agent.
 ms.topic: troubleshooting
-ms.date: 05/19/2025
+ms.date: 06/20/2025
 ms.service: azure-backup
 ms.custom:
   - engagement-fy24
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ Azure Backup might not successfully mount the recovery volume, even after severa
 
 9. Retry recovery by using [Instant Restore](backup-instant-restore-capability.md).
 
-If the recovery still fails, restart your server or client. If you don't want to restart, or if the recovery still fails even after you restart the server, try [recovering from another machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#use-instant-restore-to-restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine).
+If the recovery still fails, restart your server or client. If you don't want to restart, or if the recovery still fails even after you restart the server, try [recovering from another machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine-using-instant-restore).
 
 ## Cache issues
 

articles/backup/backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md

@@ -2,17 +2,21 @@
 title: Restore files to Windows Server using the MARS Agent
 description: In this article, learn how to restore data stored in Azure to a Windows server or Windows computer with the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) Agent.
 ms.topic: how-to
-ms.date: 08/14/2023
+ms.date: 06/20/2025
 author: jyothisuri
 ms.author: jsuri
 ---
 # Restore files to Windows Server using the MARS Agent
 
-This article explains how to restore data from a backup vault. To restore data, you use the Recover Data wizard in the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) Agent. You can:
+This article describes how to restore data from a backup vault. To restore data, you use the Recover Data wizard in the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) Agent.
+
+## Key features
+
+The MARS Agent enables seamless restoration of files to Windows Server. By using this feature, you can:
 
 * Restore data to the same machine from which the backups were taken.
 * Restore data to an alternate machine.
-* If you have Cross Region Restore enabled on your vault, you can restore the backup data from the secondary region.
+* Restore the backup data from the secondary region, if you have Cross Region Restore enabled on your vault.
 
 Use the Instant Restore feature to mount a writeable recovery point snapshot as a recovery volume. You can then explore the recovery volume and copy files to a local computer, thus selectively restoring files.
 
@@ -24,9 +28,11 @@ Use Instant Restore with Recovery Services vaults in the Azure portal. If you st
 
 [!INCLUDE [learn-about-deployment-models](~/reusable-content/ce-skilling/azure/includes/learn-about-deployment-models-rm-include.md)]
 
-## Use Instant Restore to recover data to the same machine
+## Recover data to the same machine using Instant Restore
 
-If you accidentally deleted a file and want to restore it to the same machine (from which the backup is taken), the following steps will help you recover the data.
+If you accidentally deleted a file, MARS allows you to restore it to the same machine (from which the backup is taken).
+
+To recover the data to the same machine, follow these steps:
 
 1. Open the **Microsoft Azure Backup** snap-in. If you don't know where the snap-in was installed, search the computer or server for **Microsoft Azure Backup**.
 
@@ -81,11 +87,9 @@ If you accidentally deleted a file and want to restore it to the same machine (f
     > If you don't select **Unmount**, the recovery volume will remain mounted for 6 hours from the time when it was mounted. However, the mount time is extended to a maximum of 7 days in  case of an ongoing file-copy. No backup operations will run while the volume is mounted. Any backup operation scheduled to run during the time when the volume is mounted will run after the recovery volume is unmounted.
     >
 
-## Use Instant Restore to restore data to an alternate machine
-
-If your entire server is lost, you can still recover data from Azure Backup to a different machine. The following steps illustrate the workflow.
+## Restore data to an alternate machine using Instant Restore
 
-These steps include the following terminology:
+If your entire server is lost, you can still recover data from Azure Backup to a different machine. Before you proceed, review the following terminology:
 
 * *Source machine* – The original machine from which the backup was taken, and which is currently unavailable.
 * *Target machine* – The machine to which the data is being recovered.
@@ -95,6 +99,7 @@ These steps include the following terminology:
 > 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 Windows 7 computer can be restored on a Windows 7 (or later) computer. A backup taken from a Windows 10 computer can't be restored to a Windows 7 computer.
 >
 >
+To recover the data to an alternate machine, follow these steps:
 
 1. Open the **Microsoft Azure Backup** snap-in on the target machine.
 

articles/backup/backup-azure-security-feature.md

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: Security features that protect hybrid backups
 description: Learn how to use security features in Azure Backup to make backups more secure
 ms.reviewer: utraghuv
 ms.topic: how-to
-ms.date: 09/10/2024
+ms.date: 06/20/2025
 ms.service: azure-backup
 author: jyothisuri
 ms.author: jsuri
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ If security features setting is enabled, Azure Backup retains deleted backup dat
 
 For **Azure Recovery Services agent** users:
 
-1. If the computer where backups were happening is still available, reprotect the deleted data sources, and use the [Recover data to the same machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#use-instant-restore-to-recover-data-to-the-same-machine) in Azure Recovery Services, to recover from all the old recovery points.
-2. If this computer isn't available, use [Recover to an alternate machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#use-instant-restore-to-restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine) to use another Azure Recovery Services computer to get this data.
+1. If the computer where backups were happening is still available, reprotect the deleted data sources, and use the [Recover data to the same machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#recover-data-to-the-same-machine-using-instant-restore) in Azure Recovery Services, to recover from all the old recovery points.
+2. If this computer isn't available, use [Recover to an alternate machine](backup-azure-restore-windows-server.md#restore-data-to-an-alternate-machine-using-instant-restore) to use another Azure Recovery Services computer to get this data.
 
 For **Azure Backup Server** users: