Skip to main content

Manage Orphaned Backups

An orphaned backup is backup media whose source asset has been terminated or decommissioned. Cloudaware keeps historical CMDB context so teams can identify which snapshots, images, or bucket copies belonged to the original asset.

How Orphan Retention Works​

Orphan retention defines how long backup media remains after the source asset is gone. For example:

  • Keep orphaned AMIs for 10 days after termination.
  • Keep database snapshots for a longer period if required by policy.
  • Exclude assets under legal hold from cleanup.

Review Orphaned Media​

When reviewing orphaned backups, check:

  • Source asset name and ID.
  • Original account and region.
  • Application or business service.
  • Owner or team.
  • Backup creation time.
  • Retention expiration date.
  • Legal hold or compliance exception status.

Clean Up Expired Media​

Cleanup jobs delete expired media according to policy. Before deletion, confirm that:

  • No active incident or restore request depends on the media.
  • The retention period matches internal policy and contractual requirements.
  • Replicas are handled consistently with source backups.

Use Objects & Backup-related Fields to explore files on backed up objects that may be used during the review.