Mandatory update for Microsoft Azure Recovery Services Agent: February 2018

Introduction

This article describes updates, new features, improvements, and fixes for Azure Backup for Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) Agent version 2.0.9109.0. This update is used by Microsoft Azure Backup and Microsoft Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for transferring data to Azure.

Key update

If you currently use a version of the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) Agent, also known as the Azure Backup Agent, that is earlier than version 2.0.9083.0, you must immediately download this update and install it before February 15, 2018. You must do this to avoid backup and recovery failures because of the deprecation of Access Control Services (ACS). For more information about how to determine servers that have earlier versions of MARS Agent in your environment and how to update them, see the folllowing TechNet blog article:

Updating Azure Backup agents

Important updates

Improvements to Offline Backup workflow

After the end of support for the Azure classic portal (which was previously available from https://manage.windowsazure.com), we have made the following improvements to enable customers of Offline Backup to send large amounts of initial backup data by disk to Azure.

New links to download Publish Settings file

The Publish Settings file that's required for the Offline Backup workflow.

For customers who use the Azure public cloud, the file is now available at the following website:

https://portal.azure.com/#blade/Microsoft_Azure_ClassicResources/PublishingProfileBlade
For customers in China, the file is available at the following website:

https://portal.azure.cn#blade/Microsoft_Azure_ClassicResources/PublishingProfileBlade
For customers of Azure Government Cloud in the United States, the file is available at the following website:

https://portal.azure.us#blade/Microsoft_Azure_ClassicResources/PublishingProfileBlade
Improved Offline Backup utility to update Azure import jobs and retrieve job status from Azure

The AzureOfflineBackupDiskPrep.exe tool (<MARS_Installation_Directory>\Microsoft Azure Recovery Services Agent\Utils\AzureOfflineBackupDiskPrep) now lets customers update the shipping information for their Azure Backup-created import jobs directly from the tool without having to go to the Azure portal.

The same tool can now be used to extract the status of the Azure import job in addition to the data transfer status from the disk to the Azure storage account.

Note Customers must use only Classic-type storage accounts in non-CSP subscriptions to import backup data by disk.

For more information about the workflow and how to take advantage of the new improvements, see Offline-backup workflow in Azure Backup.

Improvements and issues fixed in this update

Fixes an Offline Backup workflow issue that incorrectly reported that initial backups to a staging location were completed successfully even though blobs were not successfully copied to the staging location.
Fixes an issue that caused MARS Agent backups to fail on Azure Virtual Machines and generated the following error message:

The Backup could not be started because of an unexpected error in the virtual disk service. Restart the virtual disk service and try the backup operation again. If the issue persists, check the system event logs for virtual disk service events (0x086c6)

Screen shot of the error message:
Fixes an issue that was causing System State backup failures and generated the following error message:

The operation timed out before System State Backup could start on Windows Server Backup. Make sure that Windows Server Backup and the wbadmin command-line tool are installed. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732081(v=ws.11).aspx
Makes several System State backup and recovery success improvements.
Makes several backup and recovery success improvements for the backup of files and folders.
Makes several accessibility and reliability fixes and improvements.

Update information

To apply this update, install the latest version of the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services Agent.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the Azure Recovery Services Agent update package now.

Note The version number for this update of Microsoft Azure Recovery Services Agent is 2.0.9109.0.

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

119591 How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

Applying the update to multiple servers

If your servers are registered to one or more Recovery Services Vaults, you can update your servers directly from Azure portal. Follow these steps to update multiple servers from the Azure portal:

Download the installer package.
Locate the Recovery Services Vault on which your servers are registered.
On the Settings blade, select Backup Infrastructure in the "Manage" section.
Select Protected Servers under Management Servers, and then select Azure Backup Agent as the "Backup Management Type."
On the blade that appears, select a server for which the Agent version number is earlier than 2.0.9109.0.
On the server detail blade, click Connect. This downloads a Remote Desktop Connection file that you can use to connect to the server, copy the update installer, and then run the installer to update the MARS Agent on the server.
After you finish updating, you can select other servers that have Agent versions that are earlier than 2.0.9109.0, and update the Agents on those servers in the same manner.

Restart information

If you are using Windows Server 2008 (SP2 and R2 SP1, any version), you must restart the computer after you apply this update. Users who installed MARS Agent on other Windows Server versions don’t have to restart the computer after they apply this update.

Replacement information

This update replaces previously released update 4048992.

Prerequisites

If you use System Center 2016 Data Protection Manager (SC DPM), we recommend that you apply Update Rollup 1 for System Center 2016 Data Protection Manager or a later version.

If you use System Center 2012 R2 Data Protection Manager (SC DPM), apply Update Rollup 12 for System Center 2012 R2 Data Protection Manager or a later version.

References

Learn about the terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.