Backup Retention Policies
A retention policy decides how long each backup is kept before it is automatically deleted. Without one, you either keep everything forever and pay for endless storage, or delete things ad hoc and lose the copy you needed.
A clear policy balances cost, recovery needs and any legal obligations to keep records.
What a Policy Defines
Retention is usually layered, keeping recent backups densely and older ones sparsely.
- How long daily backups are kept.
- How long weekly and monthly backups are kept.
- Whether any backups are archived long-term.
- When and how old backups are securely deleted.
Balancing Cost and Safety
Keeping every backup forever is wasteful; keeping none is reckless. A tiered policy gives you frequent recent restore points and a few long-term ones at modest cost.
Matching Policy to Obligations
Some industries must keep records for a set number of years, and data-protection rules also discourage keeping personal data longer than needed. We shape your retention policy so it satisfies both your recovery needs and any legal duties, then enforce it automatically.
| Backup | Typical retention |
|---|---|
| Daily | 30 days |
| Weekly | 3 months |
| Monthly | 12 months |
| Yearly archive | As required by law or policy |
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.