Public Preview: Instant Access via application consistent restore points

Azure introduces Instant Access for VM Restore Points, enabling you to restore disks immediately after a restore point is created—without waiting for background data replication.

Key benefits:

• Faster recovery (lower RTO): Restore disks instantly—no wait for data hydration.
• High performance from the start: Restored disks are usable immediately while data copies in the background.
• Consistent recovery: Application-consistent restore points ensure reliable recovery across all VM disks.
• Flexible controls: Enable Instant Access and configure duration per restore point or collection.

How it works:

• Create restore points with Instant Access enabled
• Restore disks immediately after creation
• Data continues to hydrate in the background for long-term durability

Pricing:

Public Preview: No additional charges apply when using Instant Access. Standard billing for disks and snapshots remains unchanged. Post General Availability (GA): Two charges will apply:

• Storage Charge: Billed only for the additional storage space consumed by Instant Access Snapshots, based on data changes on the source disk after the snapshot is created.
• Restore Charge: A one-time fee applies for each disk restored from an Instant Access Snapshot, calculated based on the disk’s provisioned size at the time of restore.

Learn more.