Offline Backup of Large Data Sets With Azure Data Box

For an offline backup of large data sets, Microsoft has now announced Azure Data Box, a preview program, which will significantly simplify the transfer of particularly large amounts of data to Azure. Azure Data Box is a supplement to Azure Backup and provides a portable appliance that enables enterprise customers to perform an initial backup of up to 80 TB per server, offline, in an Azure Recovery Vault.

Assuming a valid Azure subscriber, according to the software company, it is easy to order an Azure Data Box and, thanks to the integration in the Azure Recovery Service Agent, it is very easy to connect and fill it with backup data. The appliance itself is tamper-proof and built with a robust housing to absorb shocks or other mechanical effects during transport. The backup data can be encrypted with a 256 bit AES. Azure Backup is able to communicate directly with the box, so there is no need to temporarily cache the data. In addition, the return transfer of the box content to an Azure Data Center can be monitored in the Azure Portal.

The preview is currently only available to Microsoft Azure Recovery Service Agent customers. According to the software company, the Azure Data Box is a popular addition to offline backups with the Azure Import / Export Service.

Source: Microsoft