Active full backup vs Syntetic full backup Veeam 9.5

[cupra82]

Good evening, I have some questions concerning the veeam backup:

Example 1: I have configured an INCREMENTAL backup job with 5 retention points (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday). Today I would also like to add the synthetic full backup on Saturday.
1 question: is synthetic full backup a single file? That is, every Saturday is replaced or generates an additional file the following Saturday?
Question 2: If the synthetic full backup was on a day of the week, is it calculated as one of the 5 retention points?

Example 2: I have configured a REVERSE INCREMENTAL backup job with 10 retention points (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday). Today I would also like to add active full backup on Sunday.
1 question: is active full backup a single file? That is, every Sunday is replaced or generates an additional file on Sunday after occupying so much space?

Thank you so much and happy holidays!


Luca
switzerland

[Dima P.]

Hello and welcome to the community Luke.

is synthetic full backup a single file? That is, every Saturday is replaced or generates an additional file the following Saturday?

Yes. Synthetic full backup is a regular .vbk file.

If the synthetic full backup was on a day of the week, is it calculated as one of the 5 retention points?

Yes.

is active full backup a single file? That is, every Sunday is replaced or generates an additional file on Sunday after occupying so much space?

Yes, active full backup is a single vbk file. Within the backup job activity for the given day new backup file is being created on the first place and only then older backup files are removed by retention. Cheer!

[cupra82]

Thank u very much Dima.


Then I don't worry about the occupied space?

because if I create an active full backup, the subsequent retention points start from this active full backup..and the old ones are not deleted before the full backup has been deleted

[foggy]

Hi Luke, to avoid confusion, please review this KB article explaining how retention works for forward incremental backup method. New full backup starts backup chain from scratch. Previous full backup can be deleted only when incremental points relying on it are not needed anymore (fall out of retention), since they are useless without the full backup.