Backup Retention Policies
Use this guide to design daily, weekly, monthly, orphan, and compliance-driven retention rules. It explains the retention tag model, tier-based retention patterns, orphan retention, and legal or compliance exceptions.
Policy Model
Retention policies define how many backup copies Cloudaware keeps and when expired media is removed.
A common retention tag pattern is:
gig-backup=3d-10w-12m
This means:
- Keep 3 daily backups.
- Keep 10 weekly backups.
- Keep 12 monthly backups.
Use different policies for different service tiers. For example:
| Tier | Typical Frequency | Typical Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 0/1 | Hourly or daily | Longer daily, weekly, and monthly retention |
| Tier 2/3 | Daily | Standard daily and weekly retention |
| Non-production | Daily or none | Short retention |
Orphan Retention
Define how long to keep media after the source asset is terminated. Orphan retention helps control cost while preserving recovery options for recently decommissioned assets.
Use Manage Orphaned Backups for the operating workflow.
Legal and Compliance Requirements
Some backups may need longer retention because of:
- Regulatory requirements
- Contractual obligations
- Litigation holds
- Customer evidence requirements
Document exceptions and legal holds so cleanup jobs do not delete protected backup media.