Deleted Retention Category - can we get it back?

[Fremont]

I noticed this is a subject that comes up once in a while.  I've been playing with it too. 

I created a number of RCs in a test system and archived a few items with them for testing.  I know you cannot delete RCs in VAC.  I also know that you should not be able to manually delete them from RetentionCategoryEntry table in the directory if the RC has items associated with it.

I tested it.  To my surprise I was able to manually delete all the RCs from the sql table except the first (default) one, even though the other RCs all had items still associated with them for short retention periods 1 day, 2 day, ertc.  Found that odd.

Furthermore, since I still have items associated with the deleted RCs, now when I try to delete the items via web search interface, it's not letting me.

Is there any way to put back the RC entry into the table manually?

Fremont

[TonySterling]

Do you have SQL database backups? 

[JesusWept3 · Accepted solution]

Retention Categories unfortunately don't have a restraint for the fact that the items that rely on the retention categories exist in a different database.

Your best bet is to either restore the directory database OR create a new retention category based on what you can remember then update the retention category id in the saveset table for the ones that don't exist anymore.

But really you should have had a backup, since you knew you were doing an unsupported procedure

[AndrewB]

he said it's a test system so it doesnt sound like it's the end of the world

[Fremont]

Thank you guys.  I do have the retention category IDs, so I will recreate them.

Fremont