What happens after max number of starting point exceed?

[bahooo]

Hi,
Actually, i have a quick question i guess. i have read many documents about reverse and forward incremental backup with synthetic and active full backup. But i couldnt find any outcome.

For example, i will define 4 retention starting point. So, actually, that means, my veeam will start full backup in first day, then other 3 days, it will start incremental backups which is related to earlier backups. Afterward, they will be chain each other because it comes from incremental nature:) In addition, i will full backup every 7 days.
But, after 3 points which are 3 incremental backups are proceed, according to the guide, it will remove oldest incremental backup point in order to be able to backup new incremental by full backup will be proceed. But incremental backup means, all chains are connected to each other and when you lost one backup for instance first incremental backup, you will lost other all incremental backups. So, i do not know what happens after deleting inc backup or exceed last point.
I am assuming that it will start a new full backup after that point,then other days, it will backup new inc backups.

Hopefully someone already experienced it.?


Thanks.

[foggy]

Hi Bahadir, did you have a chance to review the corresponding user guide chapters? Retention for every backup method is described there in a very good detail, however, if you still have questions after reviewing them, feel free to ask for clarification.

[bahooo]

hi,
Actually, as i said, i already read that article too. But they do not explain the example that i have mentioned above. If you read and you have an answer or solution, can you share with us?
Thanks.

[foggy]

In your example above, are you talking about forward or reverse incremental method? Basically, full backup resets the backup chain and starts it anew, so all subsequent increments depend on it and not on any of the restore points in the previous chain, so it can be safely removed according to retention settings.

[JaxIsland7575]

I will take a shot at answering, but if I misunderstood let me know.

You set your retention policy to 4 and I assume you are using Forever Forward Incremental method.
To clarify, that is not 4 days, but 4 successful backup jobs. There is a difference between that and it is important to understand.

In your example you set retention to 4 which will give you a backup chain that includes 1 full and 3 incremental.

Now at the next run of the job it will run another incremental giving you 1 full and 4 incremental. Once the job finishes successfully, the merge process will start and roll up the oldest incremental into the full and you will end up with the 1 full and 3 incrementals again. If something happens during that backup or the roll up of the incremental you will not lose your backup chain, but will be notified the job failed. If an incremental is manually deleted then the chain is broken and the next run of the job will create a new full backup and start new incremental.

As for the weekly backup, assuming it is a synthetic backup, when the time period for the weekly is hit, it will read the chain and synthesize a full backup and store that next to your backup chain.

I believe your question is two fold:
1) what happens when you have 3 incremental and one gets deleted?
-this would start a new backup chain starting with a new full, manually deleting files is not recommended!

2) what happens when you have 3 incremental and the backup job runs again?
-the job would wait for the fourth incremental to complete successfully, then roll up the oldest incremental into the full.

I have made a few assumptions based on default settings that you are using Forever Forward Incremental backup method and using a Synthetic backup for the weekly full.

Hope it helps!
Cheers!

[foggy]

I have made a few assumptions based on default settings that you are using Forever Forward Incremental backup method and using a Synthetic backup for the weekly full.

Actually both cannot come together, so it either forever forward or simple forward with periodic fulls.

[JaxIsland7575]

Yes, that was my mistake!

[bahooo]

hi Thank you for your answer.
Bu i am assuming that you are talking about synthetic full backup after starting points are done?
Just clarify,
I put 4 retention point and i defined that active full backup will be processed every 7 days. So the process will start i.e. monday. Monday full, tue inc, wed inc, thr inc. Then? because i didnt select syntetic full backup in order to merge with one more inc to make full. My question is that what is going to happen after that? if it is going to backup 2 more inc? or it will backup full. But if it back data up as full, why did i select active full backup every 7 days?

Thank you.

[foggy]

It will create increments until the moment the active full is scheduled at. So you will end up with 1 full and 6 increments, then the second full will be created and once the chain that is starting with this new active full reaches the retention of 4 restore points (i.e. after creating three increments), the entire old chain (1 full and six increments related to it) will be deleted.

[bahooo]

Waw. Thats the answer i was looking for.
Thank you so much. Right now, i am so bright.
Thus, i understood what the restore points are.

Thanks.

[foggy]

Btw, here's the animated explanation of retention mechanism.