How can I limit the amount of space used by snapshots?
Last modified date:
2023-12-07
Applicable Products
- QTS (4.4.1 and later)
- QuTS hero
- Storage & Snapshots
Scenario
I use snapshots to protect my data, but after some time the snapshots take up too much space on my NAS. How can I limit the amount of storage space used by snapshots?
Solution
You can limit the number of snapshots on your NAS by configuring a snapshot retention policy for each storage unit that you take snapshots of. You can customize the snapshot retention policy according to your needs. There are three policy options:
- Maximum amount of time to keep: After taking a snapshot, when the specified amount of time has passed, the system automatically deletes the snapshot.
- Maximum number of snapshots to keep: After the specified maximum number of snapshots is reached, the system deletes the oldest snapshot when taking a new snapshot.
- Smart versioning: The system takes periodic snapshots and keeps the specified maximum number of snapshots for each snapshot frequency. After the maximum number is reached, the system deletes the oldest snapshot when taking a new snapshot. Users can specify a different maximum number for each snapshot frequency (hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly).
To configure the snapshot retention settings for a storage unit, follow these steps:
- Open Storage & Snapshots.
- Go to Storage/Snapshots.
- Select one of the following storage units:
- a volume (QTS only)
- a shared folder (QuTS hero only)
- a LUN
- Click Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.
The Snapshot Manager window opens. - Click Schedule Snapshot.
The Snapshot Settings window opens. - Click Snapshot Retention.
The Snapshot Retention page appears. - Select a snapshot retention policy and configure the relevant setting(s).
Further Reading
For details, see "Configuring a snapshot retention policy" in one of the following user guides:
