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Migrate Azure VM backups from standard to enhanced policy

This article describes how to migrate Azure Virtual Machine (VM) backups from standard to enhanced policy using Azure Backup.

Azure Backup now supports migration to the enhanced policy for Azure VM backups using standard policy. The migration of VM backups to enhanced policy enables you to schedule multiple backups per day (up to every 4 hours), retain snapshots for longer duration, and use multi-disk crash consistency for VM backups. Snapshot-tier recovery points (created using enhanced policy) are zonally resilient. The migration of VM backups to enhanced policy also allows you to migrate your VMs to Trusted Launch and use Premium SSD v2 and Ultra-disks for the VMs without disrupting the existing backups.

Note

Standard policy supports backup only for unprotected trusted launch VMs via CLI (version 2.73.0 and later), PowerShell (version Az 14.0.0 and later), and REST API (version 2025-01-01 and later). To enable trusted launch for existing VMs protected by Standard Policy, migrate to Enhanced Policy first.

Considerations

  • Before you start the migration, ensure that there are no ongoing backup jobs for the VM that you plan to migrate.
  • Migration is supported for Managed VMs only and isn’t supported for Classic or unmanaged VMs.
  • Once the migration is complete, you can’t change the backup policy back to standard policy.
  • When you migrate a VM Backup Item from Standard to Enhanced policy, the process triggers a backup job that might take several hours for large VMs. This precautionary backup uses managed disk snapshots — starting with a full disk copy for instant restore, which increases backup time. Later snapshots are incremental, storing only changes since the last snapshot. If you're using unmanaged disks, make sure the storage account hosting the snapshot or VHD files allows public network access or similar settings; otherwise, the system falls back to a standard recovery point restore, which slows down recovery.
  • The change from standard policy to enhanced policy can result in extra costs. Learn More.

Note

If the VM already has a shared disk attached to it, then perform migration by following these steps:

  1. Detach the shared disk from the VM.
  2. Perform the Policy change.
  3. Reattach the shared disk to implement the exclusion.

Trigger the backup migration operation

To do the policy migration using Azure portal, follow these steps:

Note

For migrating VM backups from Standard to Enhanced policy using the Azure CLI, use the command provided in az backup item.

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal.

  2. Go to the Recovery Services vault.

  3. On the Backup Items tile, select Azure Virtual Machine.

    Screenshot shows the selection of backup type as Azure VM.

  4. On the Backup Items pane, you can view the list of protected VMs and last backup status with latest restore points time.

    Select View details.

    Screenshot shows how to view the backup item details.

  5. On the Change Backup Policy pane, select Policy subtype as Enhanced, choose a backup policy to apply to the virtual machine, and then select Change.

    Screenshot shows how to change the Azure VM backup policy to enhanced.

Monitor the policy migration job

To monitor the migration job on the Backup Items pane, select View jobs.

Screenshot shows how to go to the Backup Jobs pane.

The migration job is listed with Operation type Configure backup (Migrate policy).

Screenshot shows the backup migration policy job listed.

Migrate protected VMs to Enhanced policy in bulk.

Azure Backup allows seamless bulk migration of protected VMs from the Standard policy to the Enhanced policy. This transition strengthens security, enhances operational efficiency, and optimizes data protection across your Azure infrastructure.

Choose a path to change policy:

To trigger bulk migration of VMs protected using Standard policy to an Enhanced policy using the Backup Items tile, follow these steps:

  1. In the Azure portal, go the Recovery Services vault.

  2. On the Backup Items tile, select Azure Virtual Machine.

  3. On the Backup Items pane, select the VMs from the list of protected VMs (using Standard policy) that you want to migrate, and then select Change policy.

    Screenshot shows how to change policy from the Backup Items pane.

  4. On the Change policy pane, on the Basics tab, review the selection of VMs, and then select Next > Target policy.

    Screenshot shows how to review the VM selection.

    You can modify the VM selection if necessary.

  5. On the Target policy tab, under Target policy, select a target Enhanced policy from the dropdown list.

    Screenshot shows how to select a different backup policy.

  6. Review the selected Enhanced policy details, and then select Next > Review + Change policy.

  7. On the Review + Change policy tab, verify the selection of VMs and target policy, and then select Change policy.

    Screenshot shows how to trigger the change policy operation.

Next steps