Automatic cleanup rules not functioning as intended
Source data size: 1.8 TB
Destination volume size: 6TB
I've been wrangling an insufficient space issue on the destination volume with a daily incremental back up job. As far as I can tell, the automated cleanup rules don't seem to be followed in the back up job. To test, I created a daily incremental backup with 1 full back up followed by 1 incremental with an old version cleanup rule of : keep backup under 5TB.
With the data sizes I am working with, this sample backup job should force an error to occur on the 6th day. On the sixth day today, Acronis tossed up an error message saying that the destination volume is running out of space and to delete files. Based on the rules in this test backup job, I would have though the backup job should automatically delete the oldest full backup from 6 days ago plus the associated one day's incremental. Automatic cleanup of the oldest full version doesn't seem to be happening and instead the software is asking the end user to delete files.
The objective is to have an incremental backup running where the back up job deletes the oldest version to keep the destination volume utilization under 5TB.
What are we doing wrong?
I have not used the cleanup rule you are discussing. To enhance my understanding I looked at the ATI 2020 User Guide, 4.5.2.3 Custom schemes, and the the following dot point explains what is going on - see underlined text
- Keep size of the backup no more than [defined size] (not available for local backups created by Acronis True Image 2020 or later) - Select this option to limit maximum size of the backup. After creating a new backup version, the program checks whether the total backup size exceeds the specified value. If it's true, the oldest backup version will be deleted.
It appears that the setting does not work in ATI 2020 or later; could be related to the use of the *.tibx file architecture. One would have thought if it does not work you would get an error message when configuring the backup.
[edit] You will need to base the cleanup rules on the number of backup chains; since the full backups are 1.8 TB, you would have to set it at Keep no more than two chains, since the rule would not be applied until the third full backup is completed (for which you will need at least 5.4TB of space on the target drive).
Ian
It appears that the setting does not work in ATI 2020 or later; could be related to the use of the *.tibx file architecture. One would have thought if it does not work you would get an error message when configuring the backup.[edit] You will need to base the cleanup rules on the number of backup chains; since the full backups are 1.8 TB, you would have to set it at Keep no more than two chains, since the rule would not be applied until the third full backup is completed (for which you will need at least 5.4TB of space on the target drive).
Ian
thanks! your explanation confirms why I'm having problems with the settings as is.
I had come to conclusion about keeping no more than 2 chains as well, but noodling the work flow and anticipated incremental data size, plus another small job that is using a portion of the 6TB, I don't think we can keep more than 1 chain because (correct me if I'm wrong) Acronis needs enough space to back up a new full 1.8TB job, and only then deletes the oldest chain. At this point, what we have set an incremental backup of one full 1.8TB followed by a daily incremental forever. This will give us a 400-500 day runway before we run out of space on the drive, instead of a 2 day runway. By that time, hopefully the price point on the larger SATA disks will have come down a touch and we can take periodic airgapped snapshots of the drives in case of failure in this incremental forever set up.
thanks again!