Windows Agent (free) keeps filling up the target source

[davidkillingsworth]

Hello,

I have a Windows server and we are using the free Veeam Backup agent to take a full weekly backup.

I have the schedule set to run every day at 2:00AM on these days and only have Sunday selected.
I also have it set to "keep backup copies for the past 2 days the computer has been running.
Then in the advanced setttings, I have create a full active backup on Sundays.

This is a windows domain controller and we just want to have a 1 or 2 week old full active backup in case the server dies. We are already using a licensed version of CloudBerry Backup for the file level backups for local USB and AWS S3 backups. We've had the file level backup in place for a long time and it's already licensed and paid for, so no need to change.

The Veeam backup is in place in case someting happens to the hardware or some other Active Directory issue.

What is happening is that the full weekly backups are not being automatically pruned and the backup storage is filling up and then backups start failing.

The storage target is a shared folder, which is a Synology NAS on the backend.

I have looked all through the Veeam settings and I can't find any configuration to possibly "keep x copies of the backups" or any other cleanup or pruning feature.

Any suggestions on how to resolve? I would be happy to just keep 1 or 2 versions.

Thanks,
David

[HannesK]

Hello,
the Veeam Agent free edition scheduler does not allow your scenario.

As every incremental backup is a logical full backup with Veeam, I suggest to not use "active full" to save disk space. Just set the retention to 7 or 14 days.

Best regards,
Hannes.

[davidkillingsworth]

It's not to save disk space. We just want a full image based backup once a week.

Can you elaborate on the exact settings you are suggesting?

[HannesK]

maybe something is lost in translation. you already found all settings.

Can you please post screenshots of your "local storage" (including advanced) and "schedule" page settings? Because your text does not match the text in the user interface. I don't know what you have configured.

the full weekly backups are not being automatically pruned

how many weeks did it run now? three weeks and the first week is not deleted?

[davidkillingsworth]

Here are the screenshots of the settings. This is an imgur.com link.

https://imgur.com/a/IRyXEmG

how many weeks did it run now? three weeks and the first week is not deleted?

That's correct. I have changed the settings slightly from 3 copies to 2 copies to now 1 copy, but essentially your understanding is correct. If it ran for 3 weeks, the first week is not deleted and I had it set to keep 2 copies.

Thanks.
David

[HannesK]

Hello,
did you keep your setting to "1" days? And were the backups deleted yesterday correctly?

Best regards,
Hannes

[davidkillingsworth]

I did leave it set as 1 last week.

Over the weekend when it ran, it ran successfully. I just checked and there are 2 copies stored in the storage target location.

I don't remember if I manually deleted the older copies, or just left the older backups in place to see if they were pruned. I believe that I left the older ones in place.

In which case, they were pruned properly and I'm happy with that.

I will keep an eye on it for next week.

Thanks.