Retention

The Retention setting specifies how long NetBackup retains the backups it creates according to this schedule. To set the retention period, select a Retention from the drop-down list. When the retention period expires, NetBackup deletes information about the expired backup, making the files in the backups unavailable for restores. For example, if you choose two weeks, you can restore the data from a backup done by this schedule for only two weeks after the backup.

For full backups, always specify a time period that is longer than the frequency setting for the schedule (where the frequency is how often the backup runs). For example, if the frequency for a full backup is one week, specify a retention period of two to four weeks. This leaves enough margin to ensure that the current full backup does not expire before the next successful full backup occurs.

For cumulative incremental backups, always specify a time period that is longer than the frequency setting for the schedule. For example, if the frequency setting is one day, then specify a retention period of one week. This leaves enough margin to ensure that the current cumulative-incremental backup does not expire before the next successful one occurs. A complete restore requires the previous full backup plus the most recent cumulative-incremental backup.

For differential incremental backups, always specify a time period that is longer than the period between full backups. For example, if full backups occur weekly, then save the incrementals for two weeks. A complete restore requires the previous full backup plus all subsequent incrementals.