NetWorker: How to extend the expiration date for DDBEA SQL backups

The expiration dates of DDBEA/DDBMA SQL backups are specified at the time of backup and cannot be changed. Hence, it is important to ensure that backups are performed with the correct expiration date at the time of backup.

However, the DDBEA backups on DD are not automatically marked for deletion after passing its expiration date either, only the DDBEA Expiry Tool (ddbmexptool or dbo.emc_run_delete stored procedure) or msagentadmin commands or scripts go out and mark save sets for deletion, which are configured or ran manually for each SQL server being backed up with DDBEA. If save sets must be retained longer than expected, administrators can skip running the expiry tool for that client. The save sets remain on the Data Domain system until the tool runs again. Or backup administrators can edit their expiry tool commands or scripts to use -b <beginning_time> parameter to only query for expired save sets that were saved after a certain date and time (that is after the date and time of the backups they want to keep around). This means backups that completed after the -b <date/time> specified, will still be queried and marked for deletion but anything prior to that date and time will not be marked for deletion. Then once the specific backups are no longer needed, they can rerun the expiry tool or remove -b to search for everything prior to the end time specified (-e parameter).

If there are save sets that must be deleted before reaching it is expiration date, backup administrators can run the expiry tool with the -d switch instead of -k. This -d switch marks any save sets within a given time range for deletion whether they are marked "expired" or not, whereas -k only marks "expired" save sets for deletion within the given time range. Due to this, it is important to only run the expiry tool with -d when also specifying a small date and time range with -b <beginning_time> and -e <end_time>, or else you could mark ALL save sets for deletion and cause data loss. The -d switch should only be used as a last resort.

If you want to see which save sets will be marked for deletion first, you can remove -k or -d from the cmd/script, and this will only LIST the save sets (previously known as -l switch). 

For expiry tool information and examples, see the end of Chapter 4 of the DDBEA guide.