Skip to main content

Hello,

I am trying to fully understand restore point retention to achieve my goals. I also have Incident 221117-488 currently open about this.

Here’s what I am trying to achieve: a low priority backup plan that runs on a daily schedule, and consistently retains as close to 3 restore points as possible.

Here are the settings I currently have for my base and derived plan


Base plan: WIN_SYS_STD_BASE_LOW
SLA: 1 week, inherited from CommCell
Backup destinations
Primary - 3 days retention period
Secondary - 3 days retention period
Database options
Log backup RPO - 4 hour(s)
Run full backup every: 1 week
Storage pool Override not allowed
RPO Override required
Folders to backup Override optional


Derived plan (Defines scheduling only): WIN_SYS_STD_BASE_LOW_10PM
Defined in Java GUI: Run synthetic full every 3 days
Backup frequency: Run incremental every day at 10:00 PM
Backup destinations (Inheriting from base plan)
Primary - 3 days retention period
Secondary - 3 days retention period
Database options
Log backup RPO - 4 hour(s)
Run full backup every: 1 week

 

ESP team told me that the highlighted changed would increase the frequency of the synthetic full operation and allow for more consistent pruning of the old data. Well, the synthetic full operation is indeed running, but it’s not deleting old restore points. I currently have 10 restore points for one my VM’s assigned to WIN_SYS_STD_BASE_LOW_10PM, ranging from 11-15 to 11-24. A synthetic full ran on 11-24 and nothing was cleaned up.

Help please? Do we need to configure pruning/space reclamation on the DDB level instead of at the plan level?

Also, I have Medium and High base plans which are essentially the same as the Low base, except the High has 45 days retention and 14 weeklies for extended retention, and the Medium has 21 days retention and 6 weeklies for extended retention. What should their settings look like to keep retention as close to 45 and 21 restore points as well?

Thank you so much.

Hello Zer0c00L,

Days retention is a very important number to work with but Cycles retention is also just as important. 

The following article goes over the uses of Days retention and cycles together: 

https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/expert/11904_manage_backup_retention_and_recover_storage_space_data_aging.html

 

There is also a report you can use that will tell you why each backup is being retained ( be it for Days/Cycle retention or if it is required for another job: 

https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/expert/39786_data_retention_forecast_and_compliance_report_overview.html

 

This report should be able to answer any issues or questions around why a job is still marked as within retention but pasts its days retention period. 

 

Always happy to help!


Hello Zer0c00L,

Days retention is a very important number to work with but Cycles retention is also just as important. 

The following article goes over the uses of Days retention and cycles together: 

https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/expert/11904_manage_backup_retention_and_recover_storage_space_data_aging.html

 

There is also a report you can use that will tell you why each backup is being retained ( be it for Days/Cycle retention or if it is required for another job: 

https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/expert/39786_data_retention_forecast_and_compliance_report_overview.html

 

This report should be able to answer any issues or questions around why a job is still marked as within retention but pasts its days retention period. 

 

Always happy to help!

 

Thanks. Is the “Data Retention Forecast and Compliance” Report available to download in the CommVault store? I don’t see it as a default/out of the box report.


@Zer0c00L , it should be towards the bottom in the CommCell Console>Reports:

https://documentation.commvault.com/2022e/expert/127330_options_in_data_retention_forecast_and_compliance_report.html


Reply