The Microsoft Online Backup Service, now in invite-only beta, backs up server data to Microsoft’s secure cloud (via Microsoft Azure).

Gaurav Gupta, a senior program manager on the cloud backup team at Microsoft, detailed the backup service on the Windows Server blog.

Key features Gupta highlighted included data throttling and encryption — so contents uploaded don’t use up network resources. There’s also the assurance that the data stored in the cloud is verified for its integrity.

It also features block-level incremental backups, which can track changes, so files aren’t being duplicated and using up the precious space.

Admins can also set up backup schedules and set how long Microsoft’s servers can store the data before deleting it.

There are no details about pricing available, but testers can get a beta account with 10 GB of storage available from Microsoft’s website. From there, users can download a backup agent and try out the backups.

Are you trying the backup service? Let us know what you think of it by leaving a comment or find us on Twitter @WindowsTT