Overview
x360Recover supports instant virtual disk exports in Microsoft Azure VHD format.
This feature allows relatively easy virtual machine recovery - directly into Azure from your x360Recover backup data using the Recover Manager Recovery Wizard. 
If you are using the Recover Manager Recovery Wizard to restore to Azure, please continue with the below steps.
- STEP 0: Prepare Azure Environment
- STEP 1. Restore to Azure using Recovery Wizard
- STEP 2. In Azure Portal, Create an Azure virtual machine Disk Image
- STEP 3. In Azure Portal, Create an Azure virtual machine (may take up to 30 minutes)
If you are using the legacy manual way to restore to Azure, please refer to this article:
IMPORTANT: Preparing your protected system for Azure
If this is a new machine being migrated into Azure, ensure that your protected system has been prepared for Azure before performing the virtual disk export.
Microsoft has a comprehensive guide to preparing an on-premises machine for migration to Azure. In particular, be aware that Azure has no native virtual machine console, so you will have to ensure that RDP access (or some other means of remote console access) is configured and enabled on the system before migrating it to Azure.
You can make changes to the production environment (if you are preparing ahead of time) or first virtualize the system in the Axcient Virtual Office (if you are performing a disaster recovery and the production environment is not available.) Make any required changes to the environment (i.e. enable RDP) and take a backup of the system. Perform the Azure virtual disk export using the new backup recovery point with the changes present.
STEP 0. Prepare the Azure environment
In this step, we will confirm that you have a resource group and a storage account created; skip this step if already confirmed.
1. If you have an existing Resource Group and Storage account you wish to use for the new virtual machine, you can skip this section and start your restore in the Recovery Wizard.
2. If you have an existing Resource Group you wish to use for the new virtual machine, but need to create a storage group, skip to #9.
3. If you need to create a Resource Group, go to https://portal.azure.com/#home
4. Log in with your Microsoft account or common Azure account.
5. Enter ‘resource groups’ in the search bar and click on the Resource Groups service.
6. Click Create.
7. Choose the Subscription to which this Resource Group will belong.
8. Enter a name for the Resource Group and select a data center Region.
9. Click Review + create. Review the details then click Create to complete creation of the Resource Group.
10. Click the name of your Resource Group to open it.
11. Click Create.
12. Enter ‘Storage Account’ in the search field, then click into Storage Account.
13. Click Create.
14. Choose a Subscription and Resource group.
Enter a Storage account name and select a data center Region. All other settings can remain at their defaults.
Click Review + create.
Review the selections then click Create.
Note: Deployment of the storage account can take up to 40 minutes.
You can now continue with your restore using the Recovery Wizard. 
STEP 1. Restore to Azure using Recovery Wizard
1. Log in to x360Portal and launch x360Recover.
2. Launch Recovery Wizard and select the desired client.
Note: This selection can be done from the dashboard, protected system sidebar, vault, appliance, or client page. This screenshot is from the dashboard.
3. Select Azure Direct Restore
4. Select the protected system you would like to restore.
Note: You can use the filter option to search for your desired system quicker.
5. Select the desired restore point.
In the next few steps, you will authenticate with your Microsoft account to grant the x360Recover application access to your Azure environment.
6. First, you will grant access to Azure Resource Manager.
Copy the provided code and then click Grant Access.
Please note that the account used to log in must have the following permissions:
- Storage Blob Data Contributor or Owner
- Storage Account Contributor or Owner
7. A new tab will appear that directs you to log in to your desired Microsoft account.
Enter the copied Device Code, and confirm you are trying to sign in to the Axcient x360Recover app. 
If this is your first time granting access, you will then need to grant access to Azure Storage following the same steps as above.
8. Once access has been granted, close the new tab and navigate back to the Recovery steps.
Select the Resource Group you would like to restore to. You can use the filter option to search for your desired Resource Group more quickly.
Note: To create a new Resource Group, you will need to do so in the Azure Portal. Please refer to STEP 0: Prepare Azure Environment (above)
9. Next, select the Storage Account you would like to restore to. You can use the filter option to search for your desired Resource Group quicker.
Note: If you need to create a new Storage Account, you will need to do so in the Azure Portal, please refer to STEP 0: Prepare Azure Environment. (above)
10. Review the details of your restore.
If all is correct, select Restore to Azure
If you need to make changes, you can navigate to the correct accordion to edit or select ‘Start Over’.
11. You will receive a confirmation that the restore has started.
Select Done
12. You will then be taken to the Recover Manager dashboard to see the status of your restore in Activities of Interest.
13 From here you can monitor the process of your restore, review details, or cancel in progress jobs.
14. Once the job completes, you will finish the restore within the Azure Portal (See Step 2 and Step 3 below. )
Completed jobs will remain within the Activities of Interest for 14 days. (You can clear this by opening the job details and selecting ‘Cancel Restore’. )
STEP 2. In Azure Portal, create an Azure virtual machine disk image
1. Log in to Azure and open your Resource Group.
Click Create.
2. Enter ‘Image’ in the search box and click to select Image.
3.
3. Click Create.
4. Enter a Name for the virtual machine and select a data center Region. 
- For OS type, select Windows.
- For VM generation:
- For Legacy BIOS / MBR protected systems, select Gen1.
- For Modern EFI protected systems, select Gen2.
- Select the Storage Blob containing your protected system boot disk.
- For Account type, Standard HDD is recommended.
5. For Host caching, Read/write is recommended.
- Select an option for Encryption Type.
If your protected system has additional disks, specify additional disk LUN numbers as needed and select the blob object representing each disk.
Click Review + create.
6. Review your selections on the Create an Image page and when everything is correct, click Create.
STEP 3. In Azure Portal, create an Azure virtual machine
1. Go to your Azure Image and click Create VM.
You may search for ‘Image’, click image, then click your image name to open the Image.
2. Complete the Create a virtual machine page:
Enter a Virtual machine name, choose an Image and a Size, and specify Administrator account credentials.
3. Specify Inbound port rules
- RDP is recommended to enable easy remote access to the protected system virtual machine.
- Specify Windows OS license type and click Next: Disks >.
4. Specify disk options.
You may specify disk types, and add or remove additional disks to the VM if necessary.
On the Management tab, you can also disable boot diagnostics and/or OS updates.
Click Review + Create then click Create.
Deployment may take about 30 minutes.
Note: It’s possible your deployment will time out and fail with an error similar to this:
This is OK. You can check back later and verify that the deployment succeeded in the background.
Once the virtual machine is created and running, it will be assigned a public IP address.
Find this IP address on the VM details page...
and use it to connect via Remote Desktop Connection (RDP).
Common troubleshooting steps:
1. Errors during Authentication. Confirm you have a resource manager and storage account created. If you receive an error during the authentication step where you ‘Grant Access’ to Azure Resource Manager and Azure Storage, confirm that your user has access to both.
2. Failed Restore. If your restore fails due to a “failed to create blob” or permission error, confirm that your account has the following permissions:
- Storage Blob Data Contributor or Owner
- Storage Account Contributor or Owner
You can confirm this by navigating to a resource group, selecting Access Control from the left navigation and then ‘View my access’.
3. Unable to Access VM. Once a VM is created, if you have trouble accessing it, please validate that the protected system being backup has RDP enabled. This setting can be validated by following the below steps from Microsoft:
- On the device you want to connect to, select Start and then choose the Settings icon on the left.
- Select the System group followed by the Remote Desktop item.
- Use the slider to enable Remote Desktop.
- We recommend that you keep the PC awake and discoverable to facilitate connections. Select Show settings to enable.
- As needed, add users who can connect remotely by clicking Select users that can remotely access this PC. Members of the Administrators group automatically have access.
- Make note of the name of this PC under How to connect to this PC. You'll need this to configure the clients.
4. Unable to create VM. Validate image selection must be Gen1 or Gen2.
- For Legacy BIOS / MBR protected systems, select Gen1.
- For Modern EFI protected systems, select Gen2.
5. VM Creation Timeout error. It’s possible your deployment will time out and fail with an error similar to this:
This is OK. You can check back later and verify that the deployment succeeded in the background
SUPPORT | 720-204-4500 | 800-352-0248
- Contact Axcient Support at https://partner.axcient.com/login or call 800-352-0248
- Have you tried our Support chat for quick questions?
- Free certification courses are available in the Axcient x360Portal under Training
- Subscribe to Axcient Status page for updates and scheduled maintenance
2028 | 2062