M365 Backup Service (restore and recovery)

Contents

• Introduction
• Why a backup service may be needed
• What is backed up
• How the backup service works
• Security and data protection
• Roles and responsibilities
• Cost and billing
• Getting help

Introduction

University of Delaware Microsoft 365 (M365) license holders often store critical data in Exchange Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint Online. While Microsoft provides high availability and limited recovery options, these services are not backed up in the traditional sense. To protect data from ransomware, accidental deletion, synchronization errors, and compliance‑related data loss, UD offers a purchasable M365 backup service, provided through DaSTOR using Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365. This cloud‑based backup‑as‑a‑service (BaaS) solution ensures data is recoverable, protected, and retained.

Why a backup service may be needed

Many users assume that data stored in the cloud is automatically backed up. This is a common misconception.

Microsoft’s built‑in protections rely on recycle bins and short‑term retention policies that:

• Are time‑limited (typically up to 93 days)
• Can be bypassed by user action
• Do not protect against ransomware or delayed discovery of data loss

Common data‑loss scenarios include:

• Files deleted or encrypted by ransomware and then synchronized across devices
• Users deleting files from a locally synced OneDrive folder, unintentionally deleting the cloud copy
• Data loss discovered after Microsoft’s restore window has expired
• Compliance or audit requirements that exceed Microsoft’s default retention

If data is business‑critical, the M365 backup service is strongly recommended.

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What can be backed up

UD faculty and staff can submit a form request to backup data from these Microsoft Apps:

Exchange Online

• User mailboxes (including Online Archives)
• Shared mailboxes

OneDrive for Business

• All files owned by the account holder

Microsoft Teams

• Teams, channels, and associated files. 

SharePoint Online

• Entire sites and document libraries. 

A request is required for each site or account you want to back up.

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Backup scope

Backups are performed per account and per site and are all or nothing:

• Individual folders, email folders, or Teams channels cannot be selectively backed up.
• When an account or site is backed up, all data within that account or site is included.

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How the backup service works

• Automated backups run daily at 1 a.m.
• Backup data is retained for three years
• Data is stored outside Microsoft 365 in a separate, secure environment
• Point‑in‑time restores are available at the file, folder, or workload level

This service supplements Microsoft’s native retention and recycle bin features; it does not replace them.

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Security and data protection

The M365 backup service is designed to protect against ransomware and insider risk.

Key security features include:

• Immutable backups and granular restore options
  Independent backups provide immutable, point-in-time copies. Backup data cannot be modified or deleted, even by administrators, during the retention period.

• Encryption
  Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

• Isolated storage
  Backup data is stored outside the Microsoft 365 tenant, protecting it even if the tenant is compromised.

• VEEAM provides granular restore options
  Independent backups provide immutable, point-in-time copies

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Roles and responsibilities

Individual account holders

• May restore their own Exchange and OneDrive data.

Site and data owners

• May designate a departmental IT professional to act as a restore agent.

Team and SharePoint site owners who enroll a site for backup

• May restore data to an enrolled Team or SharePoint site

Restore agents

• Perform restores on behalf of users or departments. An IT Professional may be designated as a restore agent when submitting the Request Microsoft 365 Backup form. Restore agents may also be added and removed after the initial backup request form has been submitted. 
• Restore agents may view and use the instructions concerning How to restore data using the M365 backup service.

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Cost and billing

The M365 backup service is a fee‑based, charge‑back service.

• A purpose code must be provided to enroll in the M365 Backup Service. 
• The provided purpose code must be enrolled in Autopay. 
• Exchange account or OneDrive backup costs $2.75/month.
• SharePoint Online or Teams site backups cost $2.75/month plus $0.02/GB/month.

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Getting help

For assistance with eligibility, service requests, or restore questions, contact the IT Support Center.

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