entraadm-mcp

vm_backup_status

Checks which Azure VMs are protected by Azure Backup and whether their last backup succeeded, flagging unprotected, failed, stale, or orphaned backup items.

Instructions

Which Azure VMs are backed up by Azure Backup, and whether the last backup succeeded.

Azure Resource Manager in the DEFAULT tenant only, also when several tenants are configured (ENTRAADM_CONFIG).

Joins every VM of a subscription (Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines) with the Azure-VM protected items of its Recovery Services vaults, on the VM's ARM id (case-insensitively; ARM casing differs between the two services). Read-only; needs the Reader role on the subscription.

Per VM:

protected: true when a protected item exists with protectionState Protected or IRPending (first backup not done yet, note says so); false when there is none, or it is ProtectionStopped / ProtectionPaused / ProtectionError (data may be retained, backups are not running -- the state is shown); null (unknown) when no item was found but the vault scan was incomplete (capped, a skipped vault, an unreadable or unreached subscription -- in the global join, any subscription's) -- a partial scan never produces a false "unprotected".
backup_ok: true for lastBackupStatus Completed / CompletedWithWarnings, false for Failed, null before any backup ran or while one is running (InProgress, Warning, an unknown value). An item whose protectionState is missing is protected: null with a note. When two vaults hold an item for one VM, the one still backing up wins (duplicate_items counts them).
stale: no recovery point (lastRecoveryPoint, the proof of a successful backup) within stale_hours. The default 36 h suits daily policies; raise it for weekly ones (policy_name is in the row).

subscription is an id or display name from list_subscriptions; None scans every visible subscription and joins globally, so a VM backed up to a vault in another subscription is matched. With one subscription named, only its vaults are scanned (coverage says so). An unknown or ambiguous name returns found: false.

orphans are protected items whose VM no longer exists (backup data retained for a deleted VM), reported only when that VM's subscription was listed completely. One subscription's permission error is reported on its own entry; the others still return. When the wall-clock budget runs out, the remaining subscriptions are listed under skipped and capped is set.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "vm_backup_status"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`max_pages`	No
`stale_hours`	No
`subscription`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv1.3.0Oct 16, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations, the description carries the full disclosure burden and does so: read-only, requires the Reader role on the subscription, DEFAULT tenant even when multiple are configured, and a wall-clock budget that can leave subscriptions in 'skipped' with 'capped' set. It also documents failure semantics that would otherwise cause silent misinterpretation — a partial scan never yields a false 'unprotected', and a permission error on one subscription is reported per-entry while others still return.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The purpose is front-loaded in the first sentence and the remaining text is dense rather than padded — most of it is per-field return semantics that are necessary because no output schema exists. It is nonetheless long for a 3-parameter tool, with deeply nested parentheticals that slow scanning.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given no annotations and no output schema, the description needs to explain both behavior and return shape, and it does: protected/backup_ok/stale semantics, duplicate_items and orphan handling, and partial-coverage signaling. The only meaningful omission is what max_pages controls and how it interacts with the 'capped' outcome.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate. It fully specifies 'subscription' (id or display name from list_subscriptions; None scans all and joins globally) and 'stale_hours' (default 36h suits daily policies, raise for weekly ones, policy_name is in the row). 'max_pages' is left completely undefined, which is a real gap even though the wall-clock/capped behavior is described.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Opens with a specific verb+resource statement ('Which Azure VMs are backed up by Azure Backup, and whether the last backup succeeded') and immediately scopes it to the default tenant. This is clearly distinguishable from the sibling vm_backup_policies (which would concern policy definitions) without opening either schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives clear operating conditions: already-backed-up-by-Azure-Backup, DEFAULT tenant only, and points to list_subscriptions as the source of valid subscription values. It explains the None-vs-named-subscription semantics and the unknown/ambiguous-name behavior, but never states when an agent should prefer vm_backup_policies or vm_activity instead.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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