Files Created by GFS Retention

[pgfitzgerald]

I tried looking this up in the documentation, but I'm not sure I clearly understood. I was going to test it, but my trial has expired.

I'm trying to get an understanding of how GFS retention manages the actual files. I'm hoping a better understanding will allow me to more accurately size our solution.

Given this scenario:

1. If I backup all VMs daily and keep 14 restore points. (I see 1 vbk and 13 vib files)
2. If I setup a backup copy job to run daily and keep 7 restore points, 4 weekly backups, and 12 monthly backups...

I have these questions:

1. Does the backup copy job create backup chains or independent backup files?
2. If they are chains, is each type of backup considered its own backup chain?
   1. For example, do the 7 daily backups consist of 1 full backup file (vbk) and 6 incremental backup files (vib)?
3. If they're not backup chains, then they must be completely independent full backup files. Is that correct?
   1. For example, the 7 daily backups consist of 7 full backup files (vbk)?

Thanks!

[foggy]

I tried looking this up in the documentation, but I'm not sure I clearly understood. I was going to test it, but my trial has expired.

Paul, you can always ask your sales rep about extending the trial period.

[*]Does the backup copy job create backup chains or independent backup files?

Please differentiate regular backup copy retention that maintains a first restore point as a full backup (VBK) and a set of subsequent increments (VIB) and GFS retention that stores each GFS restore point as a separate independent full backup (VBK).

[pgfitzgerald]

Ah! I think I understand now. Please correct me if my understanding is not right...

Same situation...

1. I backup all VMs daily and keep 14 restore points. I should expect to see 1 vbk and 13 vib files on my normal backup repository.
2. I setup a backup copy job to run daily and keep 7 restore points, 4 weekly backups, and 12 monthly backups...

The 7 restore points that are part of the backup copy job are considered "regular backup copy retention" and I should expect to see 1 vbk full and 6 vib incremental files.

The weekly and monthly backups are considered "GFS retention" and each would be an independent full backup vbk file.

So in the end, the off site storage repository should contain the following:

Regular retention
1 vbk full and 6 vib incremental files

GFS retention
4 vbk full files for the weekly backups
12 vbk full files for the monthly backups

Is all that correct?

Thanks!

[foggy]

Totally correct.

[pgfitzgerald]

Thanks so much sir! Time for some calculations.