How to Back Up and Restore Your Microsoft Data

According to Microsoft Message ID MC1011142, app-only authentication for Microsoft Graph APIs will be retired on March 31, 2025. Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup currently relies on app-only authentication. As a result of this change, Cloud-to-Cloud Backup can no longer restore OneNote Notebooks to Microsoft 365. Users can still export OneNote Notebooks as an alternative recovery option. If a restoration attempt is made for a OneNote Notebook, it fails and a warning message is generated in the job report.

Backups

The following Microsoft 365 data sources can be backed up in Cloud-to-Cloud Backup. For more information on what Microsoft 365 data is backed up, see Data Backed Up in Microsoft 365.

Exchange – Cloud-to-Cloud Backup backs up all email messages, attachments, and the complete folder structure of each user's mailbox. You can restore messages, folders, or entire mailboxes back to the original account or export via the download feature.

Cloud-to-Cloud Backup is no longer backing up the Recoverable Items and Archive Mailbox Recoverable Items folders in Exchange Online by default for customers accounts created after April 11, 2024. This change was made for two reasons:

Recoverable items can grow exponentially in size, significantly increasing both the time it takes to complete Exchange backup jobs and Microsoft throttling, reducing job completeness.
Research has been identified that most customers do not need this data, as it is duplicated data already backed up elsewhere. For example, a deleted email is already captured in both the Inbox and Deleted Items backups, making the Recoverable Items copy redundant. To enable these backups, contact Barracuda Networks Technical Support.

Customers with Cloud-to-Cloud Backup accounts activated prior to April 11, 2024 can continue to back up the Recoverable Items and Archive Mailbox Recoverable Items folders, however Barracuda Networks recommends customers to disable these backups. To skip backing up these folders, contact Barracuda Networks Technical Support.

SharePoint – Cloud-to-Cloud Backup backs up SharePoint Online sites, document libraries, and lists. Items can be restored individually directly into SharePoint Online from backup.
Planner – Cloud-to-Cloud Backup backs up all your Planner plan, bucket, and task data. Each item can be individually restored back into Planner as needed.
OneDrive – Cloud-to-Cloud Backup backs up all files under the Documents Library, including the entire folder structure. Just like with Exchange Online, files, folders, or entire accounts can be restored back to the original account, a different account, or exported via the download feature.
Teams – Cloud-to-Cloud Backup backs up all your mail, calendar, and site data, along with file data shared within Teams and the associated Group membership. Items can be restored to the original location or exported via the download feature.

Entra ID Backup

Entra ID Backup backs up the User, Group, Role, and Administrative Unit object types from Entra ID.

Entra ID Backup Premium

Entra ID Backup Premium backs up all Entra ID Backup objects (User, Group, Role, and Administrative Unit), as well as App Registrations, Audit Logs, Authentication Method Policies, Authentication Strength Policies, BitLocker Keys, Conditional Access Policies, Device Management (Intune Policies), Enterprise Applications, Local Administrator Passwords (LAPS), and Named Locations.

For more information, see Data Backed Up in Entra ID.

Backup Options

To change the default backup behavior, see the Settings Page.

You can enable data sources from the Backup > Backup sources page. Note that once enabled, a data source cannot be returned to a disabled state; however, you can modify the backup selection to control what content is protected. For more information, see Backup Page.

Backup Schedules

Cloud-to-Cloud Backup automatically configures backup schedules to run at the most optimal time for each tenant. The day and time that the next scheduled backup is set to run is posted on the Dashboard page, under the Backup section. This can also be viewed by clicking Back up now on the Backup > Backup sources page.

To run an on-demand backup, click Back up now on the Dashboard page, or navigate to Backup > Backup sources and click Back up now. Select one or more data sources and click Run backup. For more information about the Backup sources page, see Backup Page.

Note: To run on-demand backups using the Back up now option, your account must have the Admin or Backup role. Scheduled backups run automatically and do not require manual role assignment. See Settings Page for role permissions.

Dashboard page:

Backup > Backup sources page:

Barracuda Networks recommends following the automatic backup schedules. To change to a different backup schedule, contact Barracuda Networks Technical Support.

Restores

Efficiently restore backed-up data sources to the original location, such as Microsoft 365 and Entra ID, or specify an alternative location within Microsoft 365. Additionally, you can restore data based on historical revisions and download it directly to your local system.

Cloud-to-Cloud Backup also utilizes Barracuda Advanced Threat Protection to scan for malware during your restore jobs. For more information, see Malware Scanning During Restore.

On the Restore page, select the data source and use the Restore button to restore your backed up data.

Exports

As an alternative to restoring data to a restore target, Cloud-to-Cloud Backup provides the ability to download data directly to your workstation. Additionally, you can export backup data directly to your Microsoft Azure Blob Storage, providing greater flexibility in how and where you recover your data.

On the Restore page, select the connection and then the data source. Use the Export button to export and download your data.

Restore and Export Backup Revisions

To view a list of all recoverable and exportable backup revisions, click on the revisions icon. You can enter a Start and End date to search for a different revision, or click on the date field to search for revisions from the last 7, 14, 30, or 365 days. Select the desired revision, and then click the Restore or Export button.

Purge On-Demand

Permanently delete selected backup data, including all associated revisions, whenever necessary, making it an essential tool for meeting compliance requirements such as GDPR. With granular control, you can specifically target files, folders, or user data for deletion without impacting the rest of your backup set. Additionally, all purge activities are recorded in the Audit Log, ensuring a comprehensive compliance and security trail for your records.

Note: The purge function only applies to items deleted from your active environment. If a file is still present in your data source, it continues to appear in your backups even if it hasn't been modified. Once the file is deleted from your data source, the assigned retention policy applies, and the file can be purged from backups.

Select the three dots next to the revisions icon to purge the item and all of its revisions, then click Yes, purge. This action schedules the removal of the item and its revisions. Purged data is retained for a 30-day grace period before final deletion. During this period, the Activities Page page displays an Undo button, allowing you to reverse the purge if needed. After the grace period, the data is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Note: The Purge role must be assigned to view the action (three dots) icon and to purge data. See Settings Page for role permissions.