Changing to an LRS (Locally Redundant Storage) Backup Vault

Azure recovery services vaults can use either Geo-Redundant Storage (GRS) or Locally Redundant Storage (LRS). GRS replicates your backup data across multiple regions, so that it will remain available in the event of a regional Azure outage. However, GRS storage is more expensive than LRS and may not be necessary in all cases. In order to change a Nerdio account to use an LRS backup vault, you will need to perform the following steps, which are covered in further detail below:

1. Disable "Soft Delete" on the existing GRS vault (optional)
2. Disable backups for any VMs currently using the existing vault
3. Create a new LRS backup vault in Nerdio Manager and unlink the GRS vault
4. Enable backups for VMs using the new backup vault
5. Delete the GRS vault

Disable Soft Delete on the existing vault

By default, Azure recovery services vaults retain data for 14 days in a "soft delete" state. If you wish to delete the GRS vault to save costs, you will be unable to do so while it contains data in the soft delete state. First, find the recovery services vault in the Azure portal, and select Properties.

Select Security Settings and set Soft Delete to Disabled. Then Save the changes.

If you have already disabled backups on any existing VMs, you will need to "undelete" the backups in the Azure vault to remove them from Soft Delete status.

Disable backups for any VMs using the GRS vault

In Nerdio Manager, select Backup in the left menu. For all items currently being backed up, use the drop down menu to select Disable backup

Create a new LRS backup vault

In Nerdio Manager, navigate to Settings->Integrations. In the "Backup recovery vaults, policies and assignments" section, select Add vault

Enter the appropriate selections for Name, Resource Group, and Region. For Replication Type choose Locally-redundant. 

You may wish to create a new backup policy for VMs and Azure Files under the new backup vault.

To unlink the GRS vault, select unlink.

Enable backups for VMs using the new backup vault

In Nerdio Manager, select Backup in the left menu and click the Enable Backup button for any VMs and servers you want to back up.

Delete the GRS vault

Once all VMs and servers have been moved to the new LRS vault, you can delete the GRS vault in Azure. If any backup items still exist in Soft Delete state, you can undelete them in the backup vault, then remove them again. Once there are no items in Soft Delete, you can remove the vault.