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Data Retention Policy: Grandfather-Father-Son (GFS) Model
This section defines the logic and configuration ranges for the Backup Retention Policy within the Druva Console. Druva utilizes the Grandfather-Father-Son (GFS) model to manage snapshot lifecycles.
Retention Tiers and Behavior
Retention settings determine how long snapshots are preserved before they are automatically deleted (expired).
Daily Retention (The "Son")
Definition: Preserves all snapshots created within a 24-hour period.
Logic: Every backup taken today is kept until the Daily Retention count is reached.
Limits: 1 to 1,000 days (Default: 7 days).
Weekly Retention (The "Father")
Definition: Preserves one representative snapshot per calendar week.
Selection Logic: The system identifies the oldest backup created during a calendar week (starting Sunday) and promotes it to a Weekly Recovery Point.
Expiration: All other daily backups from that specific week expire once the Weekly Recovery Point is established.
Limits: 1 to 100 weeks (Default: 4 weeks).
Monthly Retention (The "Grandfather")
Definition: Preserves one representative snapshot per calendar month.
Selection Logic: The oldest Weekly Recovery Point within a calendar month is promoted to a Monthly Recovery Point.
Constraint: Only one Monthly Recovery Point is retained per month.
Limits: 1 to 360 months (Default: 12 months).
Infinite Retention Configuration
To disable the expiration logic and retain all backups indefinitely, apply the following values:
Daily Retention: 0
Weekly Retention: 0
Monthly Retention: 0
Retention Configuration Summary
Retention Tier | Frequency | Selection Rule | Default | Range |
Daily | Per Backup | All backups kept | 7 Days | 1–1000 Days |
Weekly | 1 per Week | Oldest of the week | 4 Weeks | 1–100 Weeks |
Monthly | 1 per Month | Oldest weekly of the month | 12 Months | 1–360 Months |