Step 3: Retention

BDRSuite Client for End Points provides a retention feature wherein you can retain multiple versions of the backup in the backup server. Retention is aimed at optimizing storage utilization while adhering to your organization’s backup policy. Retention can be configured for backed-up files as well as deleted files. The BDRSuite Client for End Points retains the version files at the backup server based on two types of retention:

• Version-Based Retention
• Time-Based Retention

Version-Based Retention

Version Based Retention will retain multiple versions of your backup in the backup server based on the value you provide. For example, if you have selected to keep the last 5 version(s) of the backup data, then the latest 5 versions of the backup data will be maintained in the backup server. When the sixth version of the file is created, BDRSuite Client for Files & Applications will automatically delete the first version. The count ‘5’ will be maintained at all times. This is the default retention type and the default value is ‘5’. Version count begins from ’00’ and runs up to ’99’.

Note: When the Intelli-Delta option is disabled for a backup schedule, BDRSuite Client for Files & Applications will backup the entire file if the file was modified since the last backup schedule. In such cases, BDRSuite Client for Files & Applications will retain multiple versions of the entire file as per the version retention count that was configured for that backup.

Time-Based Retention

When you select Time-Based Retention as your retention type, BDRSuite Client for Files & Applications will retain the version of your backup files in the backup server based on the age of the version. The period varies from the day, week, month, and year(default). The default count is for 5 years, which implies that until 5 years your version of the backup data will be retained in the backup server and will then be removed automatically. The maximum period that you can retain your files for is 10 years. You can further customize your retention based on two options provided:

• Any number of versions can be created within this retention period
• Restrict the maximum number of versions that can be created within this retention period to

Any number of versions can be created within this retention period

• When you select this option, BDRSuite Client for Files & Applications will retain all the versions of the backup data in the specified time frame. For example, if you have selected 5 years and select this option, all the versions that occur in these 5 years will be retained in your backup server. This is the default setting.

Restrict the maximum number of versions that can be created within this retention period to

• The BDRSuite Client for File Servers will retain the version files based on the value you configure. For example, if you have selected value as ‘5’ which is the default count, BDRSuite Client for Files & Applications will retain only the last five versions of your backup data.  Version count begins at ’01’ and runs until ’99’.

Retention policy for deleted files[for Windows only]

• If the files that are configured for backup get deleted at the client-side after a backup schedule, then the backed-up data of those files will not be deleted in the backup server. It will be marked as ‘Deleted’ during the subsequent backup schedule.
• The BDRSuite Client for File Servers provides you an option to retain the deleted files in the backup server.

Note: This option is available for Windows client machines. It is supported in client machines running in Linux, Mac, or Free BSD operating systems.

Version-Based Retention

Retains the specified versions of the files that are deleted in the client machine. The specified version will be retained in the backup server and this is the default option. Retention count runs from ’01’ to ’99’ (default is 5)

Time-Based Retention

Time-Based Retention will retain the versions of a file for a specified period once the files are deleted in the client machine. The default retention count is for 5 years, which means BDRSuite Client for Files & Applications will retain the versions for 5 years. When you select years as criteria, you can only retain the versions up to 10 years.

Don’t retain deleted files

If files are deleted in the client machine, all backed up versions of these files will be deleted from the server as well in the subsequent backup schedules. This is not recommended as you will lose your data permanently. Click Save once you have configured the required retention settings.

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