Assigning multiple retentions with one profile

Different types of data often are retained for different lengths of time. For example, you may want to vault your finance data for 7 years and your customer data for 20 years. To do this, the off-site copy of your backups will have different retentions based on the type of data. Vault can process different types of data individually if your backups are organized based on the type of data being protected. For example, if you have separate backup policies based on the data type, such as a Finance backup policy and a CustomerDB backup policy.

When a Vault session creates a duplicate image, Vault usually assigns the same retention to all of the duplicates created by using one of the following duplication options:

Specifying No Change keeps the same expiration date as the original copy.
Specifying a numeric retention level applies that retention, calculated from the backup time of the original image.

Alternatively, you can configure Vault to calculate a retention for the duplicate copy based on the type of data. During duplication, specifying Use Mappings instructs the profile to use the alternative retention mappings. The retention for a duplicate copy of a particular type of data is based on the retention level assigned by the backup policy for that type of data. The retention mapping converts the original backup image's retention to a new retention for the duplicated copy.

For example, suppose you want to retain the on-site copy of all your data for 2 weeks, the off-site copy of your Finance data for 7 years, and the off-site copy of your CustomerDB data for 20 years.

To assign multiple retentions with one profile

Using Host Properties in the NetBackup Administration Console, configure retention levels 1 and 11 to be 2 weeks, retention level 12 to be 7 years, and retention level 13 to be 20 years.
In your Finance backup policy, assign retention level 1 (2 weeks) to the first (or only) copy configured in the schedule.
In your CustomerDB policy, assign retention level 11 (2 weeks) to the first (or only) copy configured in the schedule.
In your Vault profile, on the Duplication tab configure Retention Level to be Use Mappings.
Configure the retention mappings as follows:

0

0

1

12

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

6

6

7

7

8

8

9

9

10

10

11

13

12

12

With this mapping, duplicated images from the Finance policy or schedule are assigned a retention level of 12 (7 years) and duplicated images from the CustomerDB policy or schedule are assigned a retention level of 13 (20 years). The duplicated images are written to different media if the Allow Multiple Retentions Per Media property is not set (NetBackup Management > Host Properties > Master Server > Media).

You can configure retention mappings globally for all vaults by using the Vault Management Properties dialog box Retention Mappings tab or for each vault by using the Vault dialog box Retention Mappings tab.

When you configure a profile, you can specify normal retention calculation for some duplication rules and alternative retention mappings for other duplication rules.

The values for the retention levels are configured in NetBackup Management > Host Properties > Master Server > Retention Periods.

See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I.