Managing customers data with immutable backups in Vault

[kevin.boddy]

Hi,

If we have customers created in Vault and they having been backing up data using long retention periods in their backup policies like 5 years etc.
What happens when the customer cancels? What can we do with the Vault data?
What risk is there to us as a service provider?

Thanks
Kevin

[Mildur]

Hi Kevin

A Vault cannot be deleted as long as immutable data is stored in it — that is the intended behavior of immutability.
Immutable backups cannot be removed. This is explained in our Help Center.

To answer your question, either the Service Provider or the Customer is responsible for covering the full immutability period they have configured.
But I suggest reaching out to your regional sales contacts to discuss the situation if you’re concerned about potential high costs. They will be more familiar with any special End User Agreements for Vault customers that might cover such cases than I am.

Something which may help in Veeam Backup & Replication:
Starting with Version 13.0.1 Patch 1, you can now configure GFS immutability behavior. This can help in cases where long-term backups conflict with shorter contract cancellation periods.

The following setting now affects GFS backups as well — GFS backups will only remain immutable for the duration configured in the repository settings:



Best,
Fabian

[kevin.boddy]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

It's quite a problem when you have a customer commit to a 5-year contract and they use the immutable storage for the full 5 years but you actually have to keep the data for 10 years in total.

The immutability situation is very confusing because on Scale-out repositories the immutability functions differently depending on whether the VDC Vault is added to the performance or capacity tier.
Yes I did see the new option and am planning to use the minimum period only option which seems to be the best compromise.

Thanks
Kevin

[Mildur]

It's quite a problem when you have a customer commit to a 5-year contract and they use the immutable storage for the full 5 years but you actually have to keep the data for 10 years in total.

Are you referring to the v12 immutability retention behavior? This was also changed in v13 for the better.
With v13, a 5‑year retention with 5-year immutability period will no longer store objects for 10 years — it will now be only 5 years.

V12 Object Storage Actual Retention:

• job retention policy + immutability period + Block Generation period

V13 Object Storage Actual Retention (depends on how you have specified your immutability setting):

• minimum immutability period + Block Generation period
• job retention policy + Block Generation period

Best,
Fabian

[benthomas]

Please also see VDC for Service Provider Documentation on deleting Vaults - https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/vdc/p ... elete.html

[kevin.boddy]

Hi,

If a customer is using immutable storage with a 5-year retention assuming v12 logic for most customers still. Or assuming default Veeam recommended v13 job retention policy immutability.
At the end of their 5-year contract.
The last backup written to the immutable storage will still have an immutable until date 5-years in the future.
So in essence we would need to account for 10-years of backup storage. The initial 5-years of the contract + the immutable data for the next 5-years.
Or am I missing something?

Thanks
Kevin