Understanding item-level retention

    When configuring a backup scheduler, you must specify the maximum time for which a backup can be held in your repository. If you have set an item-level retention of ‘x’ months, it ensures that the backup held in your repository only holds information of all changes made in the preceding ‘x’ months.

    Item-level retention is calculated based on the date and time the item was last modified.

    When you configure a new backup scheduler, and you set an item-level retention of ‘x’ months, the process that happens is as follows:

    • When the backup job begins, RecoveryManager Plus will analyze the metadata of all your Google Workspace items (Mailboxes, Contacts, Calendar, and User Drive).
    • The item-level retention starting point is set to the current date/time.
    • The last modified date of each item is identified.
    • For Google Workspace items, the age of the item is calculated by comparing the last modified date/time and the current date/time. For item versions, the age is calculated by comparing the date/time at which the version was created with the current date/time.
    • The age is then compared with the value that you’ve set as the maximum item-level retention.
    • If the age of an item exceeds the specified interval, the item will not be backed up into the repository.
    • If the age is less than the specified item-level retention, the item will be backed up.

    For example, assume a backup scheduler is created on July 5 (Tuesday), 2022, to perform a backup every Sunday at 12:00am. The item-level retention is set to one year. The first time that the scheduler will run is on Sunday, July 10, 2022, at 12:00am. July 10, 2022, will be set as the starting point of the item-level retention. All Google Workspace items that have their last modified entry from July 10, 2021, to July 10, 2022, will be backed up as the age of the modified item will be less than the maximum item-level retention. Any item that has the last modified date earlier than July 10, 2021, will not be backed up.

    This retention policy is then applied to the backed up data on the repository.

    • After all items that satisfy the age criteria are backed up, RecoveryManager Plus checks for items that have exceeded the item-level retention.
    • Items whose age exceeds the item-level retention will be removed from the backup repository.

    Considering the same example from the scenario above, the next installment of the backup will occur on July 17, 2022, at 12:00am. With July 17, 2022, set as the starting point of the item-level retention, RecoveryManager Plus will scan the backed up data to find all items whose last modified time are earlier than July 17, 2021. All items that fit the criteria are then removed from the repository.