App Service Backup & Restore
What it is
App Service can create backups of a web app — its files, settings, and optionally linked databases — so you can restore the app to a previous state or clone it to another app. Backups are stored either in the app’s built-in storage or in an Azure storage account you link. This provides point-in-time protection for PaaS apps without the full Azure Backup service.
Why it exists
A VM gets its own backup tooling, but a PaaS web app’s files live on the App Service platform. Developers want routine, automated snapshots and a quick restore/clone path — App Service built this in so app owners don’t manage their own file copies.
Key ideas
- Backup sources — each backup captures:
- the app’s code/files (the app content),
- app configuration & connection strings (optionally, if enabled in settings),
- data from linked registered databases (SQL Database / MySQL / PostgreSQL) so the backup is consistent with the app.
- Manual backups — create an on-demand backup any time.
- Scheduled/automatic backups — configure a frequency (daily/weekly) with a start hour and retention window (how many days/weeks to keep).
- Backup configuration (settings) — you choose whether to include app settings and whether to back up the linked database. You pick the destination: built-in storage (auto, free, kept ~30 days) or a linked Azure storage account you provide.
- Restore back into an existing app (overwrites its content/settings) or into a new app (clones a fresh instance). Restore overwrites current files — plan accordingly.
- Limits — backups target a storage account in the same region; external/other-region destinations aren’t allowed. Different storage for manual vs automatic backups.
Exam notes
- This is App Service’s own backup, not Azure Backup (which handles VMs/Vaults). App Service backup is app-scoped; Recovery Services vault is a separate, broader service.
- Backups are stored in Azure Storage; you either let App Service use its built-in storage or supply your own storage account.
- Restore overwrites the target app’s current content and settings — including the restore of a prior backup back into the same app.
- Configure retention and what’s included (app settings, database) when you set up the backup.
Related
app-service · app-service-plan · azure-backup · recovery-services-vault · storage-account
📘 Source: Microsoft Learn — Back up an app in Azure App Service