increamental backup chain keeps growing

[govi]

Hi Team,

I am using Windows Backup Endpoint for workstation free version and I have set Keep backup for the past 5 days when the computer was running. But I can see nearly 21 incremental chains are created.

Any additional setting needs to do done so that only 5 incremental backup chain will be kept.

i got 10 PC using Windows Backup endpoint installed due to large number of incremental chain, I am running out of space.

Thanks,
Govi.

[Dima P.]

Hello Govi.

What agent version are you running? Check the latest job run session, do you see the merge process in the logs? Thanks.

[govi]

Hi,

I am using 2.2 version currently but this issue was faced in 2.1.0.423

you think this issue will be resolved in 2.2 version.

Thanks,

Govi

[Dima P.]

Govi,

Please open a case via Control Panel > Support > Technical Support as it look like infrastructure specific problem. Please do not forget to update this thread with your case ID for future reference. Cheers!

[govi]

Hi Dima,

I have created case and team is investigating issue. We have found one bug in software that basically creating issue. Case ID :- 03217795 & 03180914. Still team is working on it. Last update that they are setting up lab to test the scenario.

Thanks,

Govi

[govi]

Hi,

This issue got resolved after setting forever incremental.

[ifi-iok]

I'm experiencing the same issue, using Agent For Windows 3.0 (Free).
I have just opened a case (# 03443133), then I have found this post.
Can you explain how could you set "forever incremental" for jobs in Agent For Windows?

[Dima P.]

Hi iok,

Please take a look at Veeam Help Center Backup Retention Policy chapter to learn more about backup modes and how retention works. Cheers!

[govi]

Hi iok,

Do not enable any full backup or synthetic backup, that means initially full backup will be created and consecutive will be incremental. If you set 14 restore points (Which is default) then will be 14 incremental restore points with 1 full backup so total 15 restore points you will see. System will automatically maintain 15 restore point by deleting old restore points. If you manually run full backup then it will be extra restore point and it will eventually get deleted/merge by veeam agent.

Thanks,

Govi

[ifi-iok]

Thank you all for your answers.
I have opened a support case. A support tech explained me how to get a "forever-forward incremental" job that should work as expected with the correct number of retention points saved on disk.
Veeam technician told me another interesting thing. She told me that If I keep the active full scheduled backup (getting a "simple" forward incremental job), then retention will start working only after the first Active Full. It seems that the first Full backup is different from the subsequent Active Full backups in how retention is handled.
So, now my Agent ran the first scheduled Active Full yesterday and I will wait to see if retention will actually start working after next the fifth incremental job.

[ifi-iok]

I can confirm che after the scheduled Active Full and after other 5 incremental backups, the first full backup and all the following incrementals before the Active Full have been deleted (I have set a retention of 5 restore points for my job).

[ifi-iok]

Another update...
After the last Active Full now I have 8 restore points saved on disk, even if I have configured the job for 5 retention points.
So I understood that the retention point configuration does work ONLY for true forever incremental jobs, with no Active or Synthetic Full backup configured.

[Dima P.]

ifi-iok,

With periodic Active Full configured restore points are removed only when the last restore point in backup chain is retired. Kindly, take a look at this Help Center article for more details. Cheers!