backup/snapshot a vm image (vhd) in windows azure

Question

I was wondering if anyone had any information on how to backup a vm image that has been uploaded to the cloud.
There is an option to revert to the initial state. However, it would be extremely handy if a snapshot could be taken or if the vhd could be downloaded again.

Any input would be welcome.
Thanks

Answer 1

This is not possible today.

(Adding more text to reach the 30-character requirement. Huh?)

Answer 2

But now it is... ;-)

https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/manage/linux/how-to-guides/capture-an-image/

This is Linux-centric, but there's another one for Windows VMs, too.

Answer 3

You can backup the blob of the VM's VHD using the Blob API, and then restore it, thereby overwriting the current OS VHD to an earlier version. Haven't tried it myself, but the docs suggest it's possible.