Backup Copy Jobs and Automatic Expiration (feature request?)

[ChuckS42]

Scenario - I have servers getting GFS retention backup copies. The servers are eventually decommissioned and we need to retain the monthly and yearly long-term retention backups until they expire. The problem is that these are now static objects that will never expire on their own; manual intervention is required to delete out-of-date backups.

I would very much like this to be automated, some sort of configuration setting in the Backup Copy Job that puts an expiration date on individual backups, then when the copy interval starts (or ends) it purges any backups older than that date.

Doable?

[ejenner]

In my environment I export my decommissioned servers and put the resulting files on an old NAS and forget about them. i.e. I take positive action and include changes to the backup as part of server decommissioning.

[foggy]

Hi Chuck, this works now this way, GFS restore points are processed according to retention settings you specify irrespective of the fact that some of the VMs are not backed up by the job anymore. Or do you see a different behavior?

[ChuckS42]

So, I have this Windows Agent backup copy job with two servers (physical, not VMs), which have been getting monthlies and yearlies. These two servers have been decommissioned, and removed from the backup copy job. The backup copy job now has no work to do (the Objects list is empty). If I understand you correctly, so long as I keep this job enabled it will start deleting these monthly and yearly backups automatically according to schedule?

I don't believe this is actually true. The "Remove deleted items data after XXX" setting doesn't seem to be the same as "automatically delete a monthly backup after one year", or "automatically delete a yearly backup after seven years". I don't think that logic even exists in VBR, in the context of a job that isn't creating new backups (though if mistaken I'd be very happy).

[foggy]

Ah, ok, if the job is empty then this is not the case, of course, since it doesn't create new GFS restore points. In this case, manual intervention is required.

[ChuckS42]

Thanks for the clarification. So, back to my original Feature Request - give me decommissioned server automatic backup retention/expiration. (One of the biggest basic backup concepts missing in VBR, IMO. [along with backup prioritization])

[foggy]

Your request is noted, thanks.