N2W runs natively inside Microsoft Azure Government, so agencies and their partners can automate backup and disaster recovery for Azure VMs without data ever leaving the government cloud. This guide walks through deploying N2W in Azure Government, connecting it with a security principal, and building backup and DR policies across the US Gov and US DoD regions.
Quick answer: To back up Azure Government workloads with N2W, deploy the N2W server in your Azure Government subscription, enable Azure Cloud in User UI Defaults, create an Azure security principal, add your Azure Government account, then create a policy that targets US Gov Virginia, US Gov Texas, US Gov Arizona, US DoD East or US DoD Central. N2W supports all five Azure Government regions.
What is Azure Government, and why does backup matter there?
Azure Government is Microsoft’s physically isolated cloud for US government workloads. It holds FedRAMP High and DoD Impact Level 4 and 5 authorizations, per Microsoft’s DoD in Azure Government documentation.
Because the cloud is closed, backup and DR tooling has to run inside it too. A backup tool hosted in the Azure Backup commercial cloud can’t protect government workloads without moving data across a compliance boundary. Here’s more on what Azure Government carries and what it doesn’t provide. N2W solves most compliance issues by allowing customers to deploy the backup server itself within Azure Government.
| Region | Region ID | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| US Gov Virginia | usgovvirginia | US federal, state and local agencies and their partners |
| US Gov Texas | usgovtexas | US federal, state and local agencies and their partners |
| US Gov Arizona | usgovarizona | US federal, state and local agencies and their partners |
| US DoD East | usdodeast | Reserved for the Department of Defense |
| US DoD Central | usdodcentral | Reserved for the Department of Defense |
N2W supports all five regions as backup and DR targets.
What do you need before you start?
- An active Azure Government subscription (DoD regions require DoD eligibility)
- An N2W Backup & Recovery license
- Permission to deploy a VM and assign a system-assigned managed identity in that subscription
- Access to the N2W main (root) user, which is the only user that can create security principals in Azure Government
- For cross-account DR, a target account with read permissions to the source account
How to set up N2W backup and DR in Azure Government: step by step
Step 1: Deploy N2W inside Azure Government
Deploy the N2W server in your Azure Government subscription, not in commercial Azure. Once you log in, the title bar reads N2W (Azure Governnment Cloud). AWS GovCloud customers see the same kind of label, so you always know which environment you’re managing.
Step 2: Set your cloud defaults
Go to Server Settings > General Settings > User UI Defaults. In Azure Government, the only option to turn on is Enable Azure Cloud. AWS, GCP and Wasabi stay off, which keeps the console aligned with government cloud requirements. The left menu then shows only the Azure options you need.
Step 3: Create an Azure security principal
Go to Security Principals > New Azure Security Principal. Enter a name, choose the user, and select an authentication method such as N2W VM System-assigned Identity. Registered application credentials remain available as well.
Only the main N2W user can create security principals in Azure Government. Plan your user setup with that in mind.
Step 4: Add your Azure Government account
Under Accounts, add the Azure Government subscription you want to protect and link it to the security principal from Step 3.
Step 5: Create a backup policy and pick your regions
Under Policies, create a new policy and add your backup targets. Region pickers show only Azure Government locations: US Gov Virginia, US Gov Texas, US Gov Arizona, US DoD Central and US DoD East. Set your schedule and retention under Lifecycle Management.
Step 6: Turn on disaster recovery
Open the policy’s DR tab and select Enable DR. Choose your DR frequency and a target region, for example backing up in US Gov Virginia and copying to US Gov Texas. This gives you a recovery copy in a second government region if one becomes unavailable.
Step 7: Add cross-account DR (optional)
On the same DR tab, select Cross-Account Backup (DR) and pick the target account under To Account. N2W reminds you that the Azure DR account must have read permissions to the source account to copy snapshots.
If the source and target accounts sit in different cloud environments, such as US Government and commercial, N2W shows a warning: “The selected source and target accounts belong to different cloud environments. Make sure you follow compliance regulations.” That guardrail helps keep regulated data where it belongs.
Editor’s note: confirm with product whether commercial-to-Gov cross-cloud copy is enabled for customers at launch. The demo said it may stay disabled by default.
Step 8: Monitor and test recovery
Track jobs in Backup Monitor and Recovery Monitor. Use Recovery Scenarios to run scheduled recovery drills, so you can prove your RTO and RPO to auditors.
Best practices for Azure Government backup with N2W
- Keep DR inside the government boundary. Pair US Gov regions with each other (for example Virginia to Texas) unless your compliance team approves otherwise.
- Use DoD regions only if you’re eligible. US DoD East and US DoD Central are reserved for DoD customers; everyone else uses the three US Gov regions.
- Plan around the main user. Since only the main user creates security principals, set them up early and document who owns them.
- Read the warnings. N2W flags cross-environment copies and missing read permissions before you save a policy. Treat them as compliance checkpoints.
- Test restores on a schedule. Automated recovery drills give auditors evidence that your DR plan works.
- Expect a leaner console. Azure Government is a closed cloud, so some commercial features, such as volume usage reporting, aren’t available.
FAQ: N2W and Azure Government
Does N2W support Azure Government?
Yes. N2W Backup & Recovery deploys inside Azure Government and protects Azure workloads in all five Azure Government regions.
Which Azure Government regions does N2W support?
N2W supports US Gov Virginia, US Gov Texas, US Gov Arizona, US DoD East and US DoD Central.
Where is the N2W server deployed for Azure Government customers?
The N2W server runs within your Azure Government subscription, so backup data and management stay inside the government cloud.
How do I know I’m working in Azure Government in N2W?
The console title bar reads “N2W (Azure Government Cloud).”
Can I use the DoD regions?
Only if you’re a Department of Defense customer. Microsoft reserves US DoD East and US DoD Central for exclusive DoD use.
Can I copy backups between Azure Government and commercial Azure?
N2W detects when source and target accounts are in different cloud environments and warns you to follow compliance regulations. The DR account also needs read permissions to the source account.
Does N2W support AWS GovCloud too?
Yes. N2W also runs in AWS GovCloud (US), with the same Gov Cloud label in the console.
Protect your Azure Government workloads with N2W
N2W gives government teams policy-based backup, cross-region DR and recovery testing for Azure, all running inside Azure Government. Setup takes a handful of steps, and built-in guardrails flag compliance risks before they become problems.
Ready to get started? Book a demo with our team.