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For MABS v4, plan on a dedicated, domain-joined Windows Server 2022 or 2019 host, attached local storage, and Recovery Services vault registration. Microsoft recommends at least two CPU cores and 8 GB of RAM for an on-premises server; for an Azure VM, it recommends Standard_A4_v2 with four cores and 8 GB of RAM. These host specifications do not determine whether a particular workload or recovery method is supported: check the MABS protection matrix separately.
Host requirements for MABS v4
Microsoft’s MABS v4 setup guidance lists the following host options and recommendations. The operating system and hardware requirements apply to the server running MABS, not necessarily to every computer it protects.
| Deployment | Supported or recommended host | Microsoft-recommended baseline |
|---|---|---|
| On premises | Physical server, Hyper-V VM, or VMware VM running 64-bit Windows Server 2022 or 2019, Standard, Datacenter, or Essentials | At least 2 cores and 8 GB RAM |
| Azure VM | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter or Windows Server 2019 Datacenter gallery image | At least Standard_A4_v2, with 4 cores and 8 GB RAM |
These are Microsoft recommendations in its MABS v4 setup guidance, not a substitute for capacity planning. Microsoft requires the MABS server itself to be an Azure VM when it protects workloads running in Azure VMs.
Keep the MABS host dedicated and domain-joined
MABS is designed for a dedicated, single-purpose server and must be joined to a domain. Microsoft says moving an existing MABS server to a different domain after deployment is unsupported, so select the intended domain before installation.
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Do not install MABS on a domain controller, a server with the Application Server role, a System Center Operations Manager management server, a computer running Exchange Server, or a cluster node. Windows Server Core and Microsoft Hyper-V Server are unsupported as MABS installation platforms.
SQL Server and installation space
The MABS installation package includes SQL Server binaries. If you provide the database instance yourself, MABS v4 supports 64-bit SQL Server 2022 or 2019 Standard or Enterprise. The instance must be local; a remote SQL instance is unsupported. Setup supports a named instance when reusing an existing SQL Server.
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With a customer-provided SQL Server 2019 or 2022 instance, Microsoft requires manual configuration of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). Its setup guidance also specifies installation locations for MABS files and SQL, and recommends at least 4 GB of free space to extract the setup package. See the installation guidance for the required locations and configuration details.
Scratch space for cloud backup
If backing up to Azure, provide a scratch location with at least 5% of the data planned for cloud backup, following Microsoft’s recommendation. This scratch-space figure is separate from the capacity needed for the local backup storage pool.
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Local storage, retention, and vault registration
MABS must be registered with a Recovery Services vault whether backup data is sent to Azure or kept locally. It also requires attached storage for the first backup copy. When cloud backup is configured, the vault stores the second copy; it does not remove the need for local storage.
Storage capacity depends on the amount of protected data, daily recovery-point size, expected data growth, and retention. Microsoft gives a general example of disk storage equal to twice the protected data size, assuming a daily recovery point of 10% and 10 days of retention. Those assumptions matter: do not apply the example as a universal capacity requirement. Use Microsoft’s referenced DPM Capacity Planner to estimate the needs of your data and retention plan.
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Additional guidance for Azure VMware Solution
For its specific Azure VMware Solution deployment, Microsoft lists 3 GB for the MABS installation location, 900 MB for database files, and 1 GB on the system drive for SQL Server installation. It recommends storage-pool disks sized at two to three times the protected data, basic rather than dynamic volumes, and notes a 120 TB soft limit for one MABS storage pool. These figures are specific to that deployment guidance, not general MABS sizing rules.
For the same scenario, Microsoft recommends using its capacity planner to estimate VM memory, CPU cores, total disk space, and IOPS. It recommends Standard SSDs for the VM and notes that pooling more than one SSD can achieve the required IOPS. See Microsoft’s Azure VMware Solution setup guidance for this deployment’s details.
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Check whether MABS can protect your workloads
A supported MABS host does not guarantee support for every protected system, deployment type, or recovery path. The MABS v4 protection matrix covers, among other workloads, Windows Server 2022, 2019, and 2016; SQL Server 2022, 2019, and 2017; Exchange 2019 and 2016; and SharePoint 2019 and 2016 with current service packs. It also covers Windows clients, Hyper-V, VMware, Azure Local, and supported Linux guest scenarios. Check the exact row in Microsoft’s MABS protection matrix for your version, deployment type, and recovery method.
Quick Recap
- Windows clients: Protected volumes must use NTFS and be at least 1 GB. FAT and FAT32 are unsupported.
- VMware: MABS does not support VMware vApps or the vSphere 8.0 DataSets feature. VM backup for pass-through disks and remote VHDs is also unsupported; Microsoft suggests guest-level backup with an agent for those cases.
- Linux guests: The matrix describes whole-VM protection and recovery, with file-consistent snapshots only.
- Special recovery cases: Some cluster, SQL, and item-level recovery scenarios have specific restrictions, including limits involving BitLocker-encrypted VM volumes. Verify the exact matrix entry for the intended recovery path.
Pre-installation checklist
- Choose the deployment location. If protecting Azure VM workloads, plan for the MABS server to run as an Azure VM. Otherwise, select a supported on-premises physical or virtual host.
- Confirm the host platform. Choose 64-bit Windows Server 2022 or 2019 in an eligible edition, and avoid unsupported host roles, cluster membership, Server Core, and Microsoft Hyper-V Server.
- Set the domain before deployment. Join the dedicated server to the intended domain; changing the domain after MABS deployment is unsupported.
- Plan compute and SQL. Use Microsoft’s deployment-specific CPU and RAM recommendation as a starting point. If supplying SQL Server, use a supported local instance and account for the SSRS configuration requirement where applicable.
- Size local and scratch storage separately. Estimate the storage pool from recovery points, retention, and growth using the capacity planner; provide the recommended scratch capacity if backing up to Azure.
- Verify protection and recovery support. Match each workload and recovery method to the protection matrix before committing to the architecture.
- Register with a Recovery Services vault. Registration is required whether the backup data is sent to Azure or retained locally.
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