There are several ways to back up AKS:

1. Velero (Most Popular Open-Source Tool)

• Backs up Kubernetes resources (deployments, configmaps, secrets, etc.)
• Backs up persistent volumes using snapshots
• Stores backups in Azure Blob Storage
• Supports scheduled backups and restores to same or different cluster

2. Azure Backup for AKS (Native Solution)

• Microsoft’s built-in backup service for AKS
• Backs up workloads and persistent volumes
• Managed via Azure Portal, CLI, or ARM templates
• Supports backup policies and restore points
• Integrates with Azure Backup Vault

3. Persistent Volume Snapshots

• Use Azure Disk Snapshots for stateful data
• Can be automated via Azure Snapshot Policies
• Best for database workloads (SQL, MongoDB, etc.)

4. GitOps / Infrastructure as Code

• Store all manifests in Git (Helm charts, YAML files)
• Tools like Flux or ArgoCD redeploy state from Git
• Not a traditional backup but enables fast cluster recreation

5. etcd Backup

• Backs up the cluster state directly
• More relevant for self-managed Kubernetes; in AKS, Microsoft manages etcd

---

What You Should Typically Back Up

• Kubernetes manifests (deployments, services, configmaps)
• Secrets (or reference them from Key Vault)
• Persistent volume data
• Namespace configurations
• RBAC roles and bindings

---

Best Practice Recommendation

Approach	Best For
Azure Backup for AKS	Simplicity, native Azure integration
Velero + Blob Storage	Flexibility, multi-cloud, open-source
GitOps	Stateless workloads, fast redeployment
Disk Snapshots	Stateful apps with heavy data

A solid strategy usually combines Azure Backup or Velero for cluster state + Disk Snapshots for persistent data + GitOps for fast recovery.