PowerProtect Data Manager 19.16 Virtual Machine User Guide

Edit the retention period for asset copies

You can edit the retention period of one or more asset copies to extend or shorten the amount of time that asset copies are retained.

1. From the PowerProtect Data Manager UI, select Infrastructure > Assets.
2. On the Assets window, select the tab for the asset type for which you want to edit retention. If a policy has been assigned, the table lists the assets that have been discovered, along with the associated protection policy.

   Use the icons to switch between a tree view of the vCenter server hierarchy, or a list view of all virtual machine assets discovered within the vCenter server.

   NOTE:For virtual machine assets, you can click the link in the Disk Excluded column next to a virtual machine asset to view VMDKs that have been excluded from the protection policy. You cannot, however, edit disk inclusion or exclusion from this window. To change the disks that are excluded for a protected asset, select the policy from the Protection Policies window and click Edit.
3. Select a protected asset from the table, and then click View Copies. The Copy Locations pane identifies where the backups are stored.
4. Click next to the asset type icon. The table in the right pane lists the backup copies.
5. Select one or more backup copies from the table and click Edit Retention.
   NOTE:If the deletion of an asset backup copy fails, the Copy Status is changed from Available to another state, and as a result the Edit Retention button is disabled. The Edit Retention button is enabled only when the Copy Status is Available.
6. Choose one of the following options:
   • To select a calendar date as the expiration date for backups, select Retention Date.
   • To define a fixed retention period in days, weeks, months, or years after the backup is performed, select Retention Value. For example, you could specify that backups expire after 6 months.
   • To override the retention lock for the backup copy, select Disable Retention Lock Governance. Overriding the retention lock allows you to reduce the retention period or to delete the backup copy before its expiration date.
   NOTE:When you edit the retention period for copies that are retention locked and you do not select Disable Retention Lock Governance, you can only extend the retention period.
7. When satisfied with the changes, click Save.
   The asset is displayed in the list with the changes. The Retention column displays both the original and new retention period, and indicates whether the retention period has been extended or shortened.