Procedure to convert an Azure VM backup policy from Enhanced to Standard

Hi stubbs R

It looks like you're trying to switch your Azure VM backup policy from Enhanced to Standard. Here's the key information to help you out:

1.Direct Policy Change Not Supported: Azure Backup currently does not support a direct switch from Enhanced to Standard backup policies. You'll need to delete the existing backups first to proceed.

2.Delete Existing Backups:

• Go to the Azure Portal and find your VM.
• In the Backup section, you should see the existing backups tied to your Enhanced policy. Delete these backups. If they're in 'Soft Delete' state, they cannot be immediately removed; you'll need to let the retention period finish or manage soft delete settings accordingly.

3.Move to Standard Policy:

Once the backups are deleted, return to the Backup section.

Select Backup now and choose the Standard policy for the VM. Follow the prompts to finalize this configuration.

4.Alternative: If you want to retain the existing backups without deletion, consider moving the VM to a different resource group before reconfiguring the backup policy to Standard. This will create a new backup instance while retaining the old one.

Important Notes:

Soft Delete: If your backup item is in Soft Delete, remember that the recovery points will remain for the retention period. There isn't a straightforward way to bypass this except by waiting it out, as direct deletion of restore points in Soft Delete is not possible.

Operational Impact: Stopping the backup policy won't affect the VM's availability but ensure you've backed up any critical data before proceeding with deletions.Please let me know if you face any challenge here, I can help you to resolve this issue further

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You cannot switch a backup policy from Enhanced to Standard after enabling a VM backup with the Enhanced policy. Once a VM is protected under the Enhanced policy, it cannot be reverted back to the Standard policy. Additionally, there is no option to immediately remove restore points in the Soft Delete state; you must wait for the Soft Delete retention period to expire before you can unregister the VM from the Recovery Services Vault.

If you want to switch to a Standard backup policy, you will need to delete the existing backup and wait for the retention period to complete before you can register the VM again under a new policy.

For further details on managing backup policies, you can refer to the Azure documentation.