Configuring a retention rule
The Retention Rule Wizard guides helps you configure a retention rule. Once a retention rule is defined, it can be assigned to a backup set.
When you enforce a retention rule on a backup set, the DS-Client determines what data to retain in online storage. If data qualifies for at least one of the keep-data options, it is retained (even if it qualifies for delete in another option). If data does not qualify for any keep-data options, it is obsolete data.
You do not need to select and specify every option within a retention rule.
To create or edit a retention rule:
1. In the DS-User main window, click the Retention Rules tab and do one of the following:
• To create a new retention rule, on the Retention menu, click New Retention Rule.
• To modify an existing rule, select it and on the Retention menu, click Edit Retention Rule.
2. In the Choose Retention Settings page, select the options you want to define for the retention rule.
The pages that follow depends on the selections made in this page. For details on these options, see the online help for the page.
NOTE: To explain the different dialog boxes, the following instructions assume that you have selected every available option in this page. However, in practice, it is easier to create specific retention rules that minimize overlapping.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Delete Options page, select at least one delete option. For details on these options, see the online help for the dialog box.
5. Click Next.
6. In the Time-based Retention page, configure at least one time-based retention option.
NOTE: When creating a retention rule for a Microsoft SQL Server database backup based on the Transaction Log Only database backup policy, you must specify a value of 0 in the Keep most recent generations box, select the Keep all generations for the last check box, and specify a time period. For all other backup set kinds, you must specify a value of 1 or higher in the Keep most recent generations box.
a) In the Keep most recent generations box, define the minimum number of generations of a file to retain.
b) To keep all backed up generations for a minimum period, select the Keep all generations for the last check box, and type a number and select the amount of time.
c) To add a time-based retention option, click Add and do the following:
• In the New Time Retention Option dialog box, configure the required details, click OK.
7. Click Next.
8. In the Archive Old Data to BLM page, configure at least one archive rule. For details on these options, see the online help for the page.
a) To add an Archive option, click Add. In the BLM Archive Rule dialog box, select the parameters that qualify a generation to be pushed to BLM.
b) In the Archive files older than box, type a number and select the amount of time to define the age of the files to archive. Online files older than the specified number of days will be ‘pushed’ to BLM.
c) In the Archive rule applies to section, you can select All Files or select a file filter rule from the drop-down list, or add a new filter rule and select it. For details on these options, see the online help for the dialog box.
NOTE: Try to keep any rules as simple as possible.
9. Click Next. In the Local Storage Retention (multiple generations) dialog box, configure the local storage retention options. For details, see the online help for the dialog box.
10. Click Next.
11. In the Choose the name for this retention rule page, do the following:
a) In the Name box, type a name for the retention rule.
b) Under the Retention Option section, do one of the following:
1. To allow delete of all obsolete data when enforcing the retention, select Delete obsolete data.
2. To archive all obsolete data to BLM, select Move obsolete data to BLM.
c) In the BLM Option section, select New Archive Package to have the BLM Archiver create a new archive package every time data is sent.
d) In the Summary section, you can review the configured options, or click Back to make corrections.
12. Click Finish to save the retention rule.