Retention Overview
The Retention setting defines how long files inside the “Retention Area” will be kept on the backup server before they are deleted automatically.
Data enters the retention area when it is deleted from the source machine (the machine being backed up). This means that even though it has been deleted from the source machine, the files can still be restored for the duration of the retention period.
As an example, if a partner deletes a PowerPoint presentation from their "My Documents" folder which is being backed up, they will be able to restore that file from the Servosity backup for the duration of the retention policy (by default 1 year). After that 1 year has passed, the backup of that PowerPoint presentation will be deleted.
This is why you may see a backup set decrease in size some months.
In the previous example it's likely that the removal of one PowerPoint presentation isn't likely to offset the creation of new files and changes to existing files, so you'd probably see the backup data grow, but consider another potential scenario.
A partner has been working on a project for a while, and they've accumulated 50GB of data for that project. After the project is complete and the data has been delivered, they move the data out of their projects folder (which is being backed up) and load it onto a NAS where they keep completed project data. Because this user typically only creates 2-3GB of data per month, when this particularly large project data is removed from the retention area a year later it will cause the total size of the backup data to drop significantly.
This is completely normal, and all part of the typical operation of a file backup.
Retention Defaults
By default, newly created accounts will be assigned a 1 year retention period, meaning they'll keep backed up files for 1 year after they've been deleted from the source machine.
Though the default period is 1 year, you also have the option to pick from 4, 7, and 10 year periods.
After each backup job completes, the Servosity Pro agent will run through the backup data and delete any data in the retention area that is now outside of the retention policy.
How to Configure the Retention Period
To configure the retention for a backup account, click the blue Edit link under the Actions column on the far right of your Company Dashboard.
From there, you can select you retention period from the Retention dropdown menu:.png?width=192&height=279&name=mceclip0%20(3).png)
Once you've selected the Retention period, click Save to commit the changes.
Please note that there is a charge for retention periods beyond 1 year. Check your pricing sheet, or email billing@servosity.com for details.
If you have any questions regarding retenetin periods, please reach out to support@servosity.com for help!