Disk space usage - force purge on expiry with GUI/PowerShell?

[gdhgdh]

Hi,

Is it possible to have Backup Sets which have exceeded their expiration date to be deleted from disk automatically? If not directly in the GUI, can this be done with PowerShell?

I've looked through the output from things like 'Get-BEJob' and 'Get-BEJobHistory' and 'Get-BEStorage' but can't seem to get a scriptable version of the output found in Storage -> Backup Sets

Can anyone help?

[Sush---]

Hello there,

   The Data lifecycle management in Backup Exec 2012 should do the required things of deleting the expired backup sets.

Please read the following technote

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH201826 : How data lifecycle management in Backup Exec 2012 manages backup set retention on disk storage 

Thanks,

-Sush...

[gdhgdh]

Sush,

Thanks for the speedy reply. I had noticed that the .BKF files are no longer all a fixed size to provide a virtual tape library, and the data lifecycle support is sensible.

My question is that looking in a local disk Storage 'Drive_C' which is marked as 'Low Disk Space', I see that a job which expired over 4 hours ago is still present in the Backup Sets tab and I wondered why that should be.

If the Data Lifecycle Management triggers every 4 hours, but also triggers any time a Low Disk Space condition is met, this backup set should have been deleted by BE2012. I'd love to know why this one hasn't!

(screenshot attached)

[pkh]

If the backup set is part of a recovery chain, then it would not be deleted even if the protection has expired.  See my article below

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/when-backup-sets-are-deleted-under-dlm

[Sush---]

well from the screenshot seems to be some issue there..... if possible please open an Official case with Symantec...

Thanks,

-Sush...

[gdhgdh]

Our live environment is BE2010 R3 which is covered by support.

The BE2012 environment is a test lab. Will Symantec support us?

[Sush---]

If you have got Maintenance contract for BE 2012 then Yes you will be able to open a case even when BE 2012 is in Test environment.

I just found a technote which might help you to resolve the issue thou. Here it is

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH187957 : Backup 2012 will not overwrite the last or recent backup set. Unable to delete the last backup set.

So install SP1a if it has not been installed and then perform the step as per that technote.

Thanks,

-Sush...

[jlehrhoff]

I added that registry hack it does absolutely nothing.  I have SQL incremental backups that should be reset every week (Full backup every Friday evening).  I also backup a file server using differentials with a full backup every Friday night.  I have set the retention period to all backups to one day but since this is disk storage and DLM just does what it wants, I have to manually delete backup sets over a month old when the disk fills up. 

Totally non-intuitive and not working as it should.  Close to jumping ship and moving to another backup solution.  Does anyone know how to prune old backup sets on disk-backup using Powershell? perhaps to automatically delete anything that is over 2 weeks old on some set schedule?