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--- title: Quickstart - Resource Manager template VM Backup description: Learn how to back up your virtual machines with Azure Resource Manager template ms.devlang: azurecli ms.topic: quickstart ms.date: 12/19/2025 ms.custom: mvc, subject-armqs, mode-arm, devx-track-arm-template ms.service: azure-backup author: AbhishekMallick-MS ms.author: v-mallicka # Customer intent: As an IT administrator, I want to deploy an ARM template to back up my Azure virtual machines, so that I can ensure data protection and recovery capabilities are in place for my applications. --- # Back up a virtual machine in Azure with an ARM template [Azure Backup](backup-overview.md) backs up on-premises machines and apps, and Azure VMs. This article shows you how to back up an Azure VM with an Azure Resource Manager template (ARM template) and Azure PowerShell. This quickstart focuses on the process of deploying an ARM template to create a Recovery Services vault. For more information on developing ARM templates, see the [Azure Resource Manager documentation](../azure-resource-manager/index.yml) and the [template reference](/azure/templates/microsoft.recoveryservices/allversions). [!INCLUDE [About Azure Resource Manager](~/reusable-content/ce-skilling/azure/includes/resource-manager-quickstart-introduction.md)] A [Recovery Services vault](backup-azure-recovery-services-vault-overview.md) is a logical container that stores backup data for protected resources, such as Azure VMs. When a backup job runs, it creates a recovery point inside the Recovery Services vault. You can then use one of these recovery points to restore data to a given point in time. Alternatively, you can back up a VM using [Azure PowerShell](./quick-backup-vm-powershell.md), the [Azure CLI](quick-backup-vm-cli.md), or in the [Azure portal](quick-backup-vm-portal.md). If your environment meets the prerequisites and you're familiar with using ARM templates, select the **Deploy to Azure** button. The template will open in the Azure portal. :::image type="content" source="~/reusable-content/ce-skilling/azure/media/template-deployments/deploy-to-azure-button.svg" alt-text="Button to deploy the Resource Manager template to Azure." border="false" link="https://portal.azure.com/#create/Microsoft.Template/uri/https%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2FAzure%2Fazure-quickstart-templates%2Fmaster%2Fquickstarts%2Fmicrosoft.recoveryservices%2Frecovery-services-create-vm-and-configure-backup%2Fazuredeploy.json"::: ## Review the template The template used in this quickstart is from [Azure quickstart Templates](https://azure.microsoft.com/resources/templates/recovery-services-create-vm-and-configure-backup/). This template allows you to deploy simple Windows VM and Recovery Services vault configured with the _DefaultPolicy_ for _Protection_. :::code language="json" source="~/quickstart-templates/quickstarts/microsoft.recoveryservices/recovery-services-create-vm-and-configure-backup/azuredeploy.json"::: The resources defined in the template are: - [**Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts**](/azure/templates/microsoft.storage/storageaccounts) - [**Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/publicipaddresses) - [**Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/networksecuritygroups) - [**Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/virtualnetworks) - [**Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces**](/azure/templates/microsoft.network/networkinterfaces) - [**Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines**](/azure/templates/microsoft.compute/virtualmachines) - [**Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults**](/azure/templates/microsoft.recoveryservices/2016-06-01/vaults) - [**Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupFabrics/protectionContainers/protectedItems**](/azure/templates/microsoft.recoveryservices/vaults/backupfabrics/protectioncontainers/protecteditems) ## Deploy the template To deploy the template, select **Try it** to open the Azure Cloud Shell, and then paste the following PowerShell script into the shell window. To paste the code, right-click the shell window and then select **Paste**. ```azurepowershell-interactive $projectName = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter a project name (limited to eight characters) that is used to generate Azure resource names" $location = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the location (for example, centralus)" $adminUsername = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the administrator username for the virtual machine" $adminPassword = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the administrator password for the virtual machine" -AsSecureString $dnsPrefix = Read-Host -Prompt "Enter the unique DNS Name for the Public IP used to access the virtual machine" $resourceGroupName = "${projectName}rg" $templateUri = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure/azure-quickstart-templates/master/quickstarts/microsoft.recoveryservices/recovery-services-create-vm-and-configure-backup/azuredeploy.json" New-AzResourceGroup -Name $resourceGroupName -Location $location New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName $resourceGroupName -TemplateUri $templateUri -projectName $projectName -adminUsername $adminUsername -adminPassword $adminPassword -dnsLabelPrefix $dnsPrefix ``` Azure PowerShell is used to deploy the ARM template in this quickstart. The [Azure portal](../azure-resource-manager/templates/deploy-portal.md), [Azure CLI](../azure-resource-manager/templates/deploy-cli.md), and [REST API](../azure-resource-manager/templates/deploy-rest.md) can also be used to deploy templates. ## Validate the deployment ### Start a backup job The template creates a VM and enables backup on the VM. After you deploy the template, you need to start a backup job. For more information, see [Start a backup job](./quick-backup-vm-powershell.md#trigger-an-azure-vm-backup-job). ### Monitor the backup job To monitor the backup job, see [Monitor the backup job](./quick-backup-vm-powershell.md#monitor-the-backup-job-for-the-azure-vm). ## Clean up resources If you no longer need to back up the VM, you can clean it up. - If you want to try out restoring the VM, skip the cleanup. - If you used an existing VM, you can skip the final [Remove-AzResourceGroup](/powershell/module/az.resources/remove-azresourcegroup) cmdlet to leave the resource group and VM in place. Disable protection, remove the restore points and vault. Then delete the resource group and associated VM resources, as follows: ```powershell Disable-AzRecoveryServicesBackupProtection -Item $item -RemoveRecoveryPoints $vault = Get-AzRecoveryServicesVault -Name "myRecoveryServicesVault" Remove-AzRecoveryServicesVault -Vault $vault Remove-AzResourceGroup -Name "myResourceGroup" ``` ## Next steps In this quickstart, you created a Recovery Services vault, enabled protection on a VM, and created the initial recovery point. - [Learn how](tutorial-backup-vm-at-scale.md) to back up VMs in the Azure portal. - [Learn how](tutorial-restore-disk.md) to quickly restore a VM - [Learn how](../azure-resource-manager/templates/template-tutorial-create-first-template.md) to create ARM templates. - Learn how to [restore an Azure VM using REST API](backup-azure-arm-userestapi-restoreazurevms.md)