Setting the frequency of Microsoft 365 backups
By default, Microsoft 365 backups run once a day and no additional scheduling options are available.
If the Advanced Backup pack is enabled in your tenant, you can configure more frequent backups. You can select the number of backups per day, but you cannot configure the backup start time. The backups start automatically at approximate intervals that depend on the current load of the cloud agent, which serves multiple customers in a data center. This ensures even load during the day, and equal quality of service for all customers.
The following options are available.
| Scheduling options | Approximate interval between each backup |
|---|---|
| Once a day (default) | 24 hours |
| Twice a day | 12 hours |
| 3 times a day | 8 hours |
| 6 times a day | 4 hours |
Depending on the load on the cloud agent and possible throttling on the Microsoft 365 side, a backup might start later than scheduled or take longer to complete. If a backup takes longer that the average interval between two backups, the next backup will be rescheduled, which might result in fewer backups per day than selected. For example, only two backups per day might be able to complete, even though you selected six per day.
Backups of group mailboxes can only run once a day.