{"id":36,"date":"2012-10-17T18:01:00","date_gmt":"2012-10-17T14:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yohoho.msp360.com\/?p=36"},"modified":"2025-08-26T15:15:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T11:15:37","slug":"how-to-use-microsoft-azure-for-backup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/blog\/how-to-use-microsoft-azure-for-backup\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Using MSP360 Backup with Microsoft Azure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This post explains how to sign up for Microsoft Azure account and configure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/backup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MSP360 Backup<\/a>\u00a0to be used with Microsoft Azure.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Sign Up for Microsoft Azure Cloud Storage<\/h2>\n<p>You can find a step-by-step instructions on how to sign up for Microsoft Azure cloud storage in the following help article:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"further-reading \">Further reading<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/help.msp360.com\/cloudberry-backup\/backup-destinations\/cloud-specific-settings\/microsoft-azure\/sign-up-for-microsoft-azure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Sign Up for Microsoft Azure<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose MSP360 Backup Edition<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MSP360 offers reliable, cost-effective solutions that support multiple cloud storage options and ensure the security of your backups.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/msp360-free-backup\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MSP360 Free Backup software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is ideal for individuals who need both file-level and image-based backup for personal use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/msp360-standalone-backup\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MSP360 Backup Pro<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers more flexibility, supporting up to 5 devices and providing additional features like server and VM backup. However, it lacks centralized web-based management, as backups are managed locally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/managed-backup\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MSP360 Managed Backup<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the full-featured solution built for MSPs and businesses managing multiple endpoints. It includes centralized management, compliance support, multi-tenant features, and scalable pricing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Download and Install MSP360 Backup<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To download the latest version of MSP360 Free or MSP360 Backup Pro, visit the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/msp360-free-backup\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">website page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, click Download Now, select your endpoint\u2019s operating system from the drop-down list, and fill out the form. Once completed, click the Download button. Then, you will be able to choose between a solution for personal use (MSP360 Free Backup) and a solution for managing up to 5 devices (MSP360 Backup Pro).<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_60347\" style=\"width: 563px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60347\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60347\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/download-41.png\" alt=\"MSP360 Backup editions\" width=\"553\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/download-41.png 553w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/download-41-258x300.png 258w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 553px) 100vw, 553px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-60347\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">#image_title<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Starting MSP360 Managed Backup Free Trial<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To start your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/managed-backup\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MSP360 Managed Backup<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> free trial, visit the product page and click the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/managed-backup\/signup\/\"><b>Start Free Trial<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> button. Once you fill out the form, you will be redirected to the web-based management console. Please note that upon registration, you will receive 2 TB of Wasabi Hot Cloud storage by default. However, you will be able to add Azure as a storage destination later in the console.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Configure MSP360 Backup for Microsoft Azure<\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Launch MSP360 Backup, click on the Menu Icon in the upper-left corner and click Add New Account.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In the \"Select Cloud Storage\" screen, click the Azure icon.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Enter the account's display name, access key (Account), secret key (Shared Key), select the account type and the required container.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Note<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: To find your Azure Access Keys, please refer to the \u201cRetrieving Access Keys\u201d section of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/help.msp360.com\/cloudberry-backup\/backup-destinations\/cloud-specific-settings\/microsoft-azure\/sign-up-for-microsoft-azure\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this help article<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Once you have specified all the required information, click <\/span><b>OK. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You will see your new Microsoft Azure account displayed in the list of accounts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60333 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/download-40.png\" alt=\"MSP360 and Microsoft Azure\" width=\"580\" height=\"505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/download-40.png 580w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/download-40-300x261.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Select Microsoft Azure Account in Backup Wizard<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can select or register a new Microsoft Azure account in Backup Wizard when creating a new backup plan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click the Files button to start Backup Wizard and select Azure as your storage destination from the list.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60330 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_37.png\" alt=\"Azure and MSP360 Free Backup\" width=\"783\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_37.png 783w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_37-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_37-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_37-624x455.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 783px) 100vw, 783px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After your Microsoft Azure account is specified, click <\/span><b>Next<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and follow the rest of the Backup Wizard steps to create and customize your backup plan. Now you are ready to use your Microsoft Azure account with MSP360 Backup.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating a File Backup Plan<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you've selected Azure as your storage destination, proceed to the next steps of the file backup wizard. In the Advanced step, you can choose the desired storage tier. MSP360 Backup supports Azure Hot, Cool, Cold, and Archive tiers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With this flexibility, you can find the storage tier that provides the best balance between cost and performance. The following options are available:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hot: For frequently accessed data. Highest storage cost, lowest access cost.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cool: For infrequently accessed data (min. 30 days). Lower storage, higher access cost.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cold: For rarely accessed data (min. 90 days). Even lower storage cost, higher access cost.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Archive: For long-term, rarely accessed data (min. 180 days). Lowest cost, with slower retrieval.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please note that the Hot storage tier is selected by default.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the next steps, you can configure a backup schedule that fits your IT routines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60334 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_41.png\" alt=\"Schedule\" width=\"859\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_41.png 859w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_41-300x233.png 300w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_41-768x597.png 768w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_41-624x485.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 859px) 100vw, 859px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, you can configure retention policy settings and specify how long you need to keep your file versions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60335 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_42.png\" alt=\"Retention step\" width=\"857\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_42.png 857w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_42-300x234.png 300w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_42-768x599.png 768w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_42-624x486.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 857px) 100vw, 857px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Configure MSP360 Managed Backup for Microsoft Azure<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To add Microsoft Azure as a storage destination in MSP360 Managed Backup, navigate to the <\/span><b>Backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tab, <\/span><b>Storage Accounts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> section in the upper navigation. Click Add Account and select Microsoft Azure from the list.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60320 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Screenshot_35.png\" alt=\"Azure in MSP360 Managed Backup\" width=\"926\" height=\"744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Screenshot_35.png 926w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Screenshot_35-300x241.png 300w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Screenshot_35-768x617.png 768w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Screenshot_35-624x501.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 926px) 100vw, 926px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the next step, you need to specify your account name and shared key. Please note that on this step you can also select account type:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Public:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Standard Microsoft Azure account.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Government:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For U.S. government agencies and partners.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Germany:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Data stored only in Germany, managed by a local trustee to meet EU regulations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>China:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Operates under Chinese regulations, available only within China.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Azure Stack:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Run Azure services locally in your own datacenter.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, follow the wizard to complete adding your new storage account.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60352 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_48.png\" alt=\"Azure in MSP360 Managed Backup\" width=\"931\" height=\"747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_48.png 931w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_48-300x241.png 300w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_48-768x616.png 768w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_48-624x501.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 931px) 100vw, 931px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating a backup plan with Azure is straightforward: find the desired endpoint in your list of computers, click the three-dot icon in the <\/span><b>Actions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> section on the right, and select <\/span><b>Show Plans<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In the slide-in panel that appears, click <\/span><b>Add New Plan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and choose the backup plan type you need from the list.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60353 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_50.png\" alt=\"Managed Backup - create backup plan\" width=\"756\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_50.png 756w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_50-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_50-624x239.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Configuring Microsoft Azure Lifecycle Policies<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Azure lifecycle management provides rule-based policies that help optimize costs and performance by automatically transitioning data between access tiers or deleting it when it\u2019s no longer needed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With lifecycle management, you can:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Move data between tiers (e.g., hot to cool or archive)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Automatically delete expired backup data<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set daily rules at the storage account level<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apply rules to specific containers or blobs using prefixes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Azure storage offers different access tiers so that you can store your blob data in the most cost-effective manner based on how it is being used. MSP360 Managed Backup also supports Azure Hot, Cool, Cold, and Archive tiers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information on Microsoft Azure storage tiers, refer to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/azure\/storage\/blobs\/access-tiers-overview\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft documentation page.<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lifecycle policy allows you to move backed up data between storage tiers after a specified period. For example, data can start in the Hot tier, move to Cool after 30 days, and then to Archive after 60 days. You can save this lifecycle setup and apply it as a default for other backup plans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To configure the lifecycle policy, navigate to the <\/span><b>Backup<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tab, <\/span><b>Storage Accounts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> section in the upper navigation. Find the Azure account in the list, click the gear icon on the right and select <\/span><b>Lifecycle Rules Settings<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-60354\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_49.png\" alt=\"Lifecycle rules settings\" width=\"683\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_49.png 683w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_49-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Screenshot_49-624x386.png 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please note that you need an administrator account based on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mspbackups.com\/AP\/Help\/billing-storage\/storage-providers\/azure\/prepare\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Entra ID<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> principal user name to configure an Azure lifecycle policy. The Microsoft Entra ID account should have the Owner or Contributor role for Azure subscription as described in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mspbackups.com\/AP\/Help\/billing-storage\/storage-providers\/azure\/prepare-4-lifecycle-policy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prepare to Use Azure Lifecycle Policy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> article. Attempts to use another account will result in an error.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting started with MSP360 Backup and Azure is quick and straightforward. By following a few simple steps, you can securely back up your data to Azure's cloud storage with flexible tier options to match your needs. Start protecting your data today with a reliable, scalable solution.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post explains how to sign up for Microsoft Azure account and configure MSP360 Backup\u00a0to be used with Microsoft Azure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[877,894,882],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-articles","category-msp360-backup","category-msp360-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60828,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions\/60828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msp360.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}