Add retention types

When you schedule or run a backup job, you must select a retention type for the resulting safeset. A retention type specifies the number of days a backup is kept on the vault, how many copies of a backup are stored online, and how long backup data is stored offline.

Portal Admin users and regular users can add retention types for a computer where a policy is not assigned.

You cannot add, change or delete retention types for intra-daily schedules. For intra-daily schedules, you must choose one of two intra-daily retention types that are available beginning in Portal 8.88. See Schedule a backup to run multiple times per day.

If a policy is assigned to a computer, retention types cannot be added or modified on the Computers page. Instead, retention types can only be added or modified in the policy. See Policy retention types.

To add a retention type:

  1. On the navigation bar, click Computers.

    The Computers page shows registered computers.

  2. Find the computer for which you want to add a retention type, and click the row to expand its view.

    If the Configure Manually box appears, click Configure Manually. The Configure Manually box appears for some computers where a backup job has not been created.

  3. On the Advanced tab, click the Retention Types tab.

    If a policy is assigned to the computer, you cannot add or change values on the Retention Types tab. Instead, retention types can only be added or modified in the policy.

  4. Click Create Retention Type.

    The Retention Type dialog box appears.

    Retention Type box

  5. Complete the following fields:

    Name

    Specifies a name for the retention type.

    Backup Retention

    Specifies the number of days a safeset is kept on the vault. A safeset is deleted when its expiry date is reached.

    Note: Safesets are not deleted unless the specified number of copies online has also been exceeded.

    Number of Backup Copies to Keep

    Specifies how many safesets from a backup job are stored online. It functions in a first in/first out manner. Once the number of safesets is exceeded, the oldest safesets are automatically deleted until the actual number of safesets matches the definition.

    Note: Safesets are not deleted unless the specified number of days online has also been exceeded.

    Create archived copies

    Select this check box to create archived copies of safesets.

    Keep Archives For

    Note: If data archiving is disabled in your Portal instance, this value does not appear.

    Specifies how long the data is stored offline. Archive storage is used to store data offline for long periods of time. This data is not immediately accessible since it is stored remotely. A greater amount of time is required to restore from archive media. Typically, only long-term data archives are stored offline. The parameters for archived data are from 365 to 9999 days.

    Assuming that at least one successful backup has been completed for the job, there will never be less than one copy of its backup online. This is true even if all retention settings are zero, expiry conditions have been met, and the job definition is deleted from your system. Deleting the job does not affect data on the vault. Only your service provider can remove jobs and their associated data from the vault. This is a safeguard against accidental or malicious destruction of data.

  6. Click Save.