Azure Backup Management Scripts

This repository contains PowerShell scripts to automate Azure VM backup management and reporting. The scripts help you create test infrastructure with backup policies and generate comprehensive backup reports.

📋 Overview

The project consists of two main scripts:

• Create.ps1 - Creates Azure infrastructure with backup protection (for testing/demo purposes)
• Report.ps1 - Generates detailed backup reports from existing Azure backup vaults

🚀 Quick Start

If you already have VMs with backups configured:

.\Report.ps1

This is the most common use case - just run the report script to analyze your existing backup infrastructure.

If you need to create test infrastructure:

.\Create.ps1

Only use this if you want to create new VMs and backup policies for testing purposes.

📁 Files Structure

📦 AzureBackupScript/
├── 📄 config.json          # Configuration file
├── 📄 Create.ps1           # Infrastructure creation script
├── 📄 Report.ps1           # Backup reporting script
├── 📄 BackupReport.csv     # Generated report output
└── 📄 README.md           # This file

⚙️ Configuration

Edit config.json to match your environment:

{
  "subscriptionId": "your-subscription-id",
  "resourceGroup": "your-resource-group",
  "location": "your-azure-region",
  "vaultName": "your-backup-vault-name",
  "reportPath": ".\\BackupReport.csv"
}

Key Configuration Properties:

• subscriptionId - Your Azure subscription ID
• resourceGroup - Resource group containing your backup vault
• vaultName - Name of your Recovery Services Vault
• reportPath - Output path for the backup report CSV file

🔧 Script Details

Create.ps1 - Infrastructure Creation

Purpose: Creates Azure VMs and configures backup protection for testing/demo scenarios.

What it does:

• ✅ Creates Azure VMs based on configuration
• ✅ Sets up Recovery Services Vault
• ✅ Configures backup policies
• ✅ Enables backup protection on VMs
• ✅ Triggers initial backup jobs

Usage:

# Create infrastructure as defined in config.json
.\Create.ps1

# Force recreation of existing resources
.\Create.ps1 -Force

⚠️ Important: This script creates billable Azure resources. Only use for testing/demo purposes.

Report.ps1 - Backup Reporting

Purpose: Generates comprehensive backup reports from existing Azure backup infrastructure.

What it does:

• 📊 Analyzes all protected VMs in the specified vault
• 📅 Retrieves last backup status and timestamps
• ⏱️ Shows backup duration and data size
• 🚨 Identifies failed backups with detailed error messages
• 📈 Provides backup health overview
• 💾 Exports detailed CSV report

Usage:

# Generate backup report
.\Report.ps1

Output: Creates BackupReport.csv with detailed backup information for all protected VMs.

📊 Excel Integration: The generated CSV file can be directly imported into Microsoft Excel for advanced analysis, filtering, and visualization of your backup data.

📊 Report Contents

The generated CSV report includes comprehensive backup information that can be imported directly into Microsoft Excel for analysis:

Column	Description
ServerName	VM friendly name
VirtualMachineId	Full Azure resource ID
ProtectionStatus	Current protection status
ProtectionState	Detailed protection state
LastBackupStatus	Status of most recent backup
LastBackupTime	Timestamp of last backup (dd-MM-yyyy - HH:mm:ss)
BackupStartTime	Start time of backup job
BackupEndTime	End time of backup job
BackupDuration	Duration of backup job (hh:mm:ss)
BackupSize	Size of backup data
FailureReason	Detailed error information for failed backups
PolicyName	Applied backup policy
HealthStatus	Current health status

🔐 Prerequisites

1. Azure CLI installed and configured
2. PowerShell 5.1 or later
3. Azure subscription with appropriate permissions
4. Recovery Services Vault (for Report.ps1)

Required Azure Permissions:

• Reader access to subscription/resource group
• Backup Reader role on Recovery Services Vault
• Virtual Machine Contributor (for Create.ps1 only)

🚀 Getting Started

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Configure Azure CLI:

   az login
   az account set --subscription "your-subscription-id"

3. Update config.json with your environment details
4. Run the appropriate script:
   • For existing backups: .\Report.ps1
   • For new test infrastructure: .\Create.ps1

💡 Common Use Cases

Scenario 1: Monitor Existing Backups

You already have VMs with backup configured and want to monitor their status.

# Just run the report
.\Report.ps1

Scenario 2: Create Test Environment

You want to create a test environment with VMs and backup policies.

# Create infrastructure first
.\Create.ps1

# Then generate reports
.\Report.ps1

Scenario 3: Regular Monitoring

Set up automated reporting for ongoing backup monitoring.

# Schedule this to run daily/weekly
.\Report.ps1

# Check the generated BackupReport.csv for any issues

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

Authentication Errors:

az login
az account set --subscription "your-subscription-id"

No Backup Items Found:

• Verify vault name and resource group in config.json
• Ensure VMs have backup protection enabled
• Check Azure permissions

Script Execution Policy:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

📝 Notes

• Create.ps1 is primarily for testing/demo purposes - it creates billable Azure resources
• Report.ps1 is for production monitoring - it only reads existing backup data
• The scripts use Azure CLI for authentication and API calls
• Reports are generated in CSV format for easy import into Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet applications
• All timestamps are formatted as dd-MM-yyyy - HH:mm:ss for consistency

🤝 Contributing

Feel free to submit issues, fork the repository, and create pull requests for any improvements.

📄 License

This project is provided as-is for educational and testing purposes.

⚠️ Disclaimer

IMPORTANT: Although these scripts have been tested, they are NOT recommended for use in production environments without thorough testing and validation in your specific environment.

No Warranty: This software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

No Responsibility: The authors and contributors of this project take no responsibility for any damage, data loss, service interruptions, or other issues that may arise from the use of these scripts. Use at your own risk.

Production Use: Before using these scripts in any production environment:

• Thoroughly test in a non-production environment
• Review and understand all code before execution
• Ensure proper backup and recovery procedures are in place
• Validate compatibility with your specific Azure environment and policies
• Consider having the scripts reviewed by your IT security and operations teams

Your Responsibility: It is your responsibility to ensure these scripts are suitable for your environment and comply with your organization's policies and procedures.