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Don't just learn the cloud—BYTE it!
Byte the Cloud is your go-to, on-the-go, podcast for mastering AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud certifications and exam prep!
Chris 0:00
All right, cloud gurus, are you ready to dive deep? Today, we're tackling AWS Backup.
Kelly 0:06
Oh, yeah, AWS Backup. It's,
Chris 0:08
it might seem pretty basic, yeah, but trust me, you
Kelly 0:11
know, at first glance, maybe
Chris 0:12
even the simple stuff in the cloud can get tricky, yeah, especially when you're cRAMming for an exam, yeah, exactly.
Unknown Speaker 0:18
Or,
Chris 0:19
you know, troubleshooting a problem at three in the morning, yeah,
Kelly 0:21
or, God forbid, a real world problem, exactly. AWS Backup is one of those services that can really throw you a curveball.
Chris 0:28
So let's break it down. What is AWS Backup?
Kelly 0:31
Well, simply put, AWS Backup is a fully managed service, okay, that centralizes and automates backups. Makes sense for a whole bunch of AWS services. Okay, so
Chris 0:41
what kind of services are we talking about? Oh, you
Kelly 0:43
name it. We're talking EC2 instances, EBS, volumes, right? RDS, databases, DynamoDB tables, okay, getting it storage gateway, EFS, FSX, they're pretty much the whole AWS family, pretty much. And it even handles on premises data too, via storage gateway. Oh, nice.
Chris 1:00
So it's like having a one stop shop for all your backups, but exactly single pane of glass. But why should a busy cloud engineer, someone like yourself really care about AWS Backup? I mean, we all know backups are important, but what makes this stand out? Imagine
Kelly 1:15
this. It's Friday afternoon. Oh yeah, you're about to head out for the weekend, and bam, you get alerts about data loss across multiple services. The nightmare scenario, if you're handling backups manually, oh, boy, you're in for a long weekend, yeah, but with AWS Backup, you can quickly pinpoint the issue, okay, restore your data from a specific point in time, right? And actually enjoy your weekend. So
Chris 1:40
you're saying AWS Backup can actually save my weekend, it can
Kelly 1:43
save your weekend, it can save you stress. It could, you know, potentially save your job. Okay,
Chris 1:47
that's a pretty compelling argument. Plus, I bet it helps with meeting all those, you know, pesky compliance requirements, right? Oh, absolutely.
Kelly 1:53
AWS Backup helps you meet those regulatory requirements with features like long term data retention and point in time recovery. It's like having an insurance policy for your data. Okay,
Chris 2:04
so we've established AWS Backup is important. But how does it actually work? Let's break it down into its core components. What are the nuts and bolts? Okay,
Kelly 2:12
so think of AWS Backup like a well organized toolbox. Okay, you've got your backup plans, which are kind of like blueprints, right? They define what to back up, when and how often. Okay, then you've got your backup vaults, ah, yes. These are, like secure storage locations for your backup, like separate containers,
Chris 2:31
okay, like safe deposit boxes, exactly, for all your valuable data. And then
Kelly 2:35
finally, you've got life cycle policies, yeah, these are like automated rules that manage backup retention, okay? And help optimize costs.
Chris 2:43
So they help you, like, clean up and make sure you're not paying for what you don't need. Exactly.
Kelly 2:47
They're like, self destruct instructions for your backup. Okay, that's
Chris 2:51
great way to visualize it. We have the blueprints, the storage containers, the cleanup crew. What Else is in This toolbox? Well,
Kelly 2:58
remember that AWS Backup is designed to, you know, play nicely with other AWS services, right? You have tight integration with IAM, CloudTrail, yeah, event, bridge, CloudWatch, all right, it's a very integrated system, okay, so
Chris 3:12
it's not just a standalone thing. It's really woven into the whole AWS Fabric. But there have to be some limitations, right? No service is perfect, that's true. What are some of those? Well,
Kelly 3:22
while AWS Backup supports a wide range of services, it doesn't cover everything yet. Okay, you know, some newer services, yeah, or very specialized ones, right? Might not be integrated, so there are still some gaps, right? And that's why it's crucial to understand, you know, right, the scope of AWS Backup, yeah, and identify any potential gaps in your overall backup and disaster recovery plan.
Chris 3:44
Okay, that's an important point. So knowing what it can't do is just as important as knowing what it can do. Now let's switch gears a little bit and get into some you know, exam style questions, because I know you're prepping for that big AWS certification, right? Yeah, always. So let's see how this knowledge translates into real world test scenarios. Great idea. All right, hit me with your best shot.
Kelly 4:07
All right. First question, you need to back up an Amazon EC2 instance that has an attached EBS volume. Okay, you want to ensure the backup includes both the instance configuration and the data on the EBS volume. Which AWS Backup feature should you use?
Chris 4:23
Okay, let me think I know backup plans define what to backup, but is there something more specific for EC2 instances, you're
Kelly 4:32
on the right track while backup plans are involved. The key here is AWS Backup support for EC2 instance backups. Oh, right? This feature creates a consistent backup of both the instance configuration and the attached EBS volumes. Think of it like taking a snapshot right of your entire instance, not just its individual part.
Chris 4:51
So it's a complete picture exactly, not just individual files Exactly. I'm ready for the next challenge, right?
Kelly 4:56
Let's say you're tasked with setting up a backup strategy for. A production database running on Amazon. RDS, all right? RDS, you need to be able to restore the database to a specific point in time, yeah, in case of accidental data deletion or corruption, ah, the dreaded corruption. Which AWS Backup features should you leverage? Hmm,
Chris 5:16
this one seems pretty straightforward. It's all about point in time recovery, right?
Kelly 5:21
You got it. Point in Time recovery is crucial for databases, yeah, because it allows you to, you know, roll back to a specific moment machine Exactly. So whether someone accidentally runs a destructive query, yeah, yeah, or there's a system glitch, you can recover your database, awesome, to a previous state.
Chris 5:39
So point in time, recovery is our best friend when it comes to databases. Got it? What else you got?
Kelly 5:46
Okay, next up, you're working for a company that's subject to strict data retention regulations. Oh, yeah, Gotta love those you need to ensure that your backups are retained for a minimum of seven years. How can you achieve this using AWS Backup? This one
Chris 6:00
feels like a slam dunk to me. It's all about life cycle policies, right? You nailed it. We can define how long our backups are kept around.
Kelly 6:08
Life Cycle policies are the answer. Here. You can configure them to retain backups for as long as you need, perfect seven years or even longer. Just make sure those policies are aligned with your company's specific regulatory needs, right?
Chris 6:20
Right. Life Cycle policies are like the archivists of our backup world exactly, making sure nothing is deleted prematurely gives another one.
Kelly 6:28
Okay, here's the scenario. You've diligently set up AWS Backup for your critical AWS resources, yeah, but you also have some sensitive data stored on premises, oh, yeah, that you want to protect. How can you extend AWS Backups capabilities to cover this on premises data?
Chris 6:46
Hmm, didn't we talk about storage gateway earlier? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that acts as a bridge to the on premises world.
Kelly 6:52
You're on fire today. That's exactly right. Storage gateway is the key to extending AWS Backup beyond the cloud. Okay, it creates a virtual gateway in your on premises environment, yeah, allowing you to seamlessly back up data to AWS Backup. Think of it as extending your cloud backup shield, yeah, like to cover your physical infrastructure as well, yeah,
Chris 7:11
like a magic portal for backups. Okay, give us one more to really solidify our knowledge here. All
Kelly 7:17
right. Last one for this round, you're reviewing the security of your AWS Backup configuration. Okay, you want to ensure that only authorized users and roles can access and manage backups. Which AWS service should you use to control access to AWS Backup?
Chris 7:33
This one seems pretty fundamental. We're talking about controlling who can do what, right? So it has to be IAM, our trusty Identity and Access Management Service IAM. IAM is the gatekeeper of our AWS environment. You'll use
Kelly 7:47
it to define fine grained permissions for who can access and manage your AWS Backup resources, whether it's creating backup plans, restoring backups or even just viewing backup activity, right? IAM is your go to for securing your backup strategy. All
Chris 8:02
right, so we've tackled some key exam style questions and feels a lot more confident about AWS Backup. Good, but I'm sure there's even more to learn. So are you ready to keep diving deeper? Absolutely,
Kelly 8:10
we've only just scratched the surface. Okay, cloud gurus, we're
Chris 8:13
gonna take a quick pause here, but don't go anywhere. We'll be right back to continue our deep dive into AWS Backup. Welcome
Kelly 8:21
back. Everybody. Ready for round two of those exam questions? Oh, yeah, I'm warmed up and ready to go. Okay, so imagine you're working on a project where you're migrating a legacy application to AWS. Okay, legacy app, and this application is heavily dependent on a file server for all of its critical data. What's your AWS Backup strategy to make sure that data is protected during and after the migration.
Chris 8:42
Okay? So we're dealing with a legacy app that's really tied to a physical file server. So we need something that can bridge the gap between the old and the AWS cloud, right, exactly.
Kelly 8:53
And the solution here is to leverage AWS Backups integration with AWS storage gateway.
Chris 8:59
Oh, yeah. Storage gateway, our
Kelly 9:01
old friend, specifically the file gateway configuration, okay, it lets you create a virtual file server in your on premises environment that seamlessly backs up data to an AWS Backup vault. So it's like having a cloud connected file server without physically moving your infrastructure. Oh,
Chris 9:16
so the file server data is basically like, transparently backed up to the cloud. That's a pretty slick way to handle those legacy migrations. All right, what's next? All right, let's
Kelly 9:24
switch gears to databases. Okay. Love databases. You're tasked with setting up a backup strategy for an Amazon DynamoDB table that contains mission critical operational data. Speed and efficiency are really important here. So how would you approach this
Chris 9:39
DynamoDB? Right? It's all about performance. So our backup solution needs to be just as fast. We can't afford any downtime or long recovery times.
Kelly 9:48
Exactly. You need a strategy that's both fast and reliable, and the answer lies in AWS Backup support for DynamoDB point in time, recovery. Point in time, recovery, yeah, this allows you to restore your DynamoDB. Able to any point within the last 35 days with just a few clicks, no need to spin up new instances or wrestle with complicated restore procedures. Wow.
Chris 10:08
Okay, so it's like having a rewind button for your DynamoDB table. Yeah, that's super powerful, especially for a service where every millisecond counts. Okay? Get me with another one.
Kelly 10:17
All right. So this time you're working with a large amount of sensitive data stored in Amazon, S3 S3 the heart of AWS encryption, both at rest and in transit, is a top priority. How do you ensure that with AWS Backup? Okay, yeah,
Chris 10:31
security is always a big concern. We know AWS Backup keeps our data safe, but we need that extra layer of encryption to meet compliance requirements and make sure that sensitive info is really locked down. You're
Kelly 10:42
absolutely right when it comes to sensitive data, encryption is essential. AWS Backup offers server side encryption to protect your data at rest. So your backups are automatically encrypted before they even reach an AWS Backup fault. So it's encrypted right from the start and for data in transit, AWS Backup relies on HTTPS so your data is protected at every step of the way. Okay, so it's
Chris 11:04
like having two layers of security, the vault and then the encryption within the vault. That makes me feel a lot better. Okay, what's next? Now let's talk about cost optimization. Uh oh, the dreaded cost optimization. You're
Kelly 11:15
responsible for managing the AWS bill, and you need to find ways to optimize storage costs related to AWS Backup, but you can't sacrifice those backup retention policies. So how do you strike that balance?
Chris 11:29
Ah, yes, the classic struggle between saving money and keeping our data safe. We need to keep our backups for compliance and peace of mind, but we don't want to break the bank right,
Kelly 11:39
and the key is to use life cycle policies to strategically transition your backups to colder storage tiers over time. So think about those backup vaults we talked about earlier. Yeah, think of Amazon S3 Glacier and Glacier deep archive as those long term storage vaults. Okay, to Deep Freeze Exactly. They're ideal for backups you need to keep for a long time, but don't need to access very often. By moving your backups to these colder tiers, you can significantly cut down on storage costs. So
Chris 12:06
it's like archiving old files. You keep them around just in case, but you put them somewhere less expensive, makes sense. Okay. What else have you got for me?
Kelly 12:12
Okay, let's shift gears to a different scenario. You're deploying a new application to AWS, and it's going to generate a lot of log data. You need to keep this log data for auditing and troubleshooting. What's your solution for collecting and analyzing this log data in a centralized place?
Chris 12:30
Okay, collecting and analyzing logs. I feel like we've talked about this before. Isn't there a specific AWS service that's perfect for this? Yeah,
Kelly 12:39
you're thinking like a true DevOps pro The answer is, AWS CloudWatch logs. CloudWatch logs, of course, this managed service lets you centrally collect and store log data from various AWS services and applications, and you can use CloudWatch logs insights to query, analyze that log data, spot trends and troubleshoot issues more efficiently.
Chris 12:58
So CloudWatch logs is like our detective's notebook collecting clues from across our AWS environment that gives us those valuable insights into our applications. Okay, what else you have for me?
Kelly 13:09
Imagine you're tasked with setting up a backup strategy for an Amazon elasticache cLuster. Elasticache, okay, it's used for caching frequently accessed data to really boost application performance. How would you make sure there's a quick recovery if there's ever a problem with the cLuster? Yeah,
Chris 13:24
elasticache is all about speed and low latency, so our backup strategy needs to be just as fast
Kelly 13:29
Exactly. Downtime with elasticache can have a big impact on application performance, but luckily, AWS Backup supports elasticache cLuster backups. Great. You can create on demand and scheduled backups, and if there's ever a disaster, you can restore your cLuster to a particular point in time, minimizing downtime. So
Chris 13:50
it's like taking a snapshot of your elasticache cLuster and being able to rewind if needed. That's pretty cool. What's the next challenge? Let's
Kelly 13:56
talk about containers. You're deploying a containerized application using Amazon ECS, ECS container world, and this application generates a lot of data that needs to be backed up. What's your strategy for backups in this containerized environment? Yeah,
Chris 14:10
containers are a little different. How does AWS Backup work with backups when containers can be created and destroyed so quickly?
Kelly 14:17
That's a great question, and the key here is to focus on backing up the persistent data volumes that are associated with your ECS tasks. Okay, so the data itself, exactly these volumes contain the data your application needs to function. So even if your containers are gone, you can restore your data and get your application back up and running.
Chris 14:34
Ah. So we're not backing up the containers themselves, but the data they rely on. That makes sense. What's the next scenario?
Kelly 14:41
Okay, let's say you're working for a company that has some pretty strict regulatory requirements for data durability and availability. Okay,
Chris 14:48
strict regulations always fun. You need to make
Kelly 14:51
absolutely sure that your AWS Backup backups are stored redundantly, like across multiple AWS regions. Yes. What's the best approach here?
Chris 15:01
This sounds like a classic disaster recovery scenario, right?
Kelly 15:05
Yes, we
Chris 15:06
need to protect our backups even if a whole AWS region goes down. What does AWS Backup have for that kind of situation?
Kelly 15:13
Well, the answer is, AWS Backups, cross region replication. Feature, cross region replication, okay, this lets you automatically copy your backups to a completely different AWS region. It's like an extra layer of protection against those, you know, regional outages. So even if your primary region has problems, right, you can still restore your data from the replicated
Chris 15:33
backup. Okay, so it's like having an off site backup for your backups Exactly. That's a great way to make sure our data is resilient no matter what. What else you got? All right, let's
Kelly 15:41
dive into the world of serverless. Okay, serverless always a hot topic. Imagine you're deploying a serverless application with AWS Lambda Okay, and it handles sensitive data that needs to be protected. How would you approach encryption with AWS Backup in that serverless environment?
Chris 15:59
Serverless encryption. That's interesting. Lambda functions are like temporary right? So how do we make sure things are encrypted in that kind of setup? Well, even
Kelly 16:07
though Lambda functions themselves are stateless, the data they work with can still be protected for data at rest. You can use AWS Backups integration with AWS KMS, KMS Key Management Service exactly. You can use KMS to encrypt your data even before your Lambda function sees it, okay. And then for data in transit, you can just rely on HTTPS, good old HTTPS, to secure the communication between your app and other services. So
Chris 16:34
even though our Lambda functions are short lived, the data is encrypted the whole time. Got it. What's next?
Kelly 16:39
Okay, let's shift gears and talk about migrating on premises infrastructure to AWS. Let's say your company is moving a bunch of virtual machines to the cloud right running on VMware. How do you make sure those virtual machines are backed up during and after that migration? VMware
Chris 16:55
backups in the cloud? I feel like we need some kind of hybrid solution for this something that connects our on premises environment with AWS,
Kelly 17:04
you're absolutely right, and once again, the answer lies in AWS Backups, integration with AWS storage gateway.
Chris 17:10
Storage gateway.
Kelly 17:12
It's the MVP of this episode. You would use the storage gateways, VMware gateway configuration. This lets you connect your VMware environment to AWS and backup your VMs directly to AWS Backup seamless, exactly. It's a really smooth way to protect your VMs so storage
Chris 17:26
gateway. It's like a magic bridge, taking those VMware backups and putting them safely in the AWS cloud. I'm really impressed with how versatile AWS Backup is. Yeah, it's
Kelly 17:35
pretty powerful, and that brings us to the end of our AWS Backup Deep Dive. We've covered a lot today, from the basics of the service to some pretty tough exam style questions. I feel
Chris 17:46
like I've leveled up my AWS Backup knowledge. For sure. I'm ready to tackle any backup challenge that comes my way. But before we sign off any final words of wisdom for our listeners,
Kelly 17:56
always remember that AWS Backup is a really powerful tool. Take the time to understand how it works, play around with different backup strategies and make sure it's part of your overall cloud architecture. A well planned backup strategy is really important for any successful cloud journey.
Chris 18:13
Well said, thanks for joining us on this deep dive into AWS Backup. We hope you learned a lot and are feeling more confident in your cloud backup skills. Until next time. Keep on learning, keep on building and keep on backing up that precious data you.