SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive
Maintenance Plan remove old files
Hi,I’m looking for an official recommendation or document for how long (remove files older than x days/weeks option) to keep the backup files on disk.
of course we all wish to keep them longer but…
is one day good enough? or 3 days is the best option or??? thanks!
It depends on your company recovery model and tape backup options… If you are running taking weekly full backup and daily differential back and hourly log backup then keep at aleast two days log backups…
MohammedU.
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Moderator
SQL-Server-Performance.com All postings are provided “AS IS†with no warranties for accuracy.
HOw big is the database and transaction logs?
Are you expecting and sudden increase of database usage within few months?
As explained it purely depends upon the company policy to retain the number of days on the data, you better find out with Audit team in this case for keeping backup online (disk) and archive (tape). By default having 1 week worth of data backup online (disk) is fine fo the financial based enterprises. Satya SKJ
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Writer, Contributing Editor & Moderator
http://www.SQL-Server-Performance.Com
@http://www.askasqlguru.com/ This posting is provided AS IS with no rights for the sake of knowledge sharing. Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information on it.
currently we keep 7 days of disk backup files ( each 10g ) on the hard drive.
everything is backed up to tape after the database backup (every night). our network admin is extremely confident about the tape backup and to reduce the amount of disk space used, she ask us to change the days to 1 or 2 days. I feel 2-3 days might be acceptable…
It is OK to keep 2-3 days…bu as I mentioned, it depends on your companies requirement…as long you can retrieve the data from tape then you are good… Note: Make sure you test the backups from tape at least once a week or so…
MohammedU.
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Moderator
SQL-Server-Performance.com All postings are provided “AS IS†with no warranties for accuracy.
Don’t forget to test the backups that are stored on tape and disk, as this is most important thing that every DBAs missed out, always best to test the integrity of that backup file in order to ensure there are no issues.
If your company is an financial organisation then you have to keep atleast 7 days online and last 3 years on tape (every month based), but better to check with your audit department in thsi case.
thanks to both Mohammedu and Satya.
Satya, 1 week is what we are doing and the company is in the financial area. do you have a formal document suggests your statement ( one week for financial org.)?
I don’t have the straight link to point, but here in UK that is the requirement as per the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) requirement and you might check within your Audit requirement for such information. If I get more information I will update it here.
Hi Satya,
I just cannot find the 7 days online backup requirement on the web…
I will post if I find the one, also on the other note do you have any disk space issues for keeping those online backup files in thsi case.
we do have disk space issue – that why it is reviewed.
if we need to keep online backup files for longer, we need to add more disks to the SAN or reduce the days to free some disk spaces.
As an interim method if you can get the backups easily from the source then continue to manage the disk free space.
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