quickest way to backup a Windows Azure VM while running

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend the 'quickest' way to backup a VM running on Azure without shutting it down? I only need to backup the data (VHD) but not sure on the best way to do this... i found conflicting info on what is currently possible with Azure.

I have tried using various power shell commands but it seems i need to turn the VM off.

I also have CloudBerry Azure explorer but struggled connecting to my subscription.

I would of thought there was a way to just locate the VM's VHD in Azure and copy it either locally or to a stroage container?

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks!