Retention

Another benefit of online backup is retention. Most client applications will allow you to set a customized 'retention period'. Retention is simply what data is kept by the backup service after it has changed. Using the thesis example again, imagine our 100 page thesis paper. As the user is adding to the file, in some way or another, deletes pages 30-60 without noticing. They save the file and it is backed up as changed to the server, minus the missing 30 pages. How long does the user have to correct this error before it becomes permanent? It all depends on the retention period. If the user is using a standard full backup procedure to a removable drive, they will have till the next backup period to catch the error, unless they are using more than one drive. The retention period can be thought of a grace period, because even your mistakes are backed up with a good backup process. Retention periods can be set either by the number of days or versions of files to keep. This holds true for deleted files as well as changed files in most cases.

Check with your online backup service to see what the retention settings are, and how you can modify them to suit your needs.

A word of warning, however. If you are paying for online storage based on the amount of data you have, the retention files will usually count towards your storage limit or cost. For example, if you have retention set to 10 days for a 1mb file, the space actually taken for that file can be up to 10mb, so try to be realistic about your retention needs.

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