Explicitly deleting backup sets or SnapInfo Snapshot copies

You can delete backup sets (or only the SnapInfo Snapshot copies related to those backup sets) that contain one or more selected Storage Groups or databases. If you need to free some space or reduce your Snapshot copy count without deleting a SnapManager Backup, you can delete the SnapInfo Snapshot copies without affecting the associated backup.

About this task

The Backup Component selection is set to Backup Data Sets by default, so that you delete the entire backup set, including related transaction logs and SnapInfo directories. You can narrow this selection further by selecting SnapInfo Snapshot copies Only.

The Management Group selection further narrows the scope of the deletion by specifying the backup management group of the backups that you want to delete.

For easiest backup administration, it is best if you always back up an entire Storage Group set.

If you select the Retain up-to-the-minute restore ability for older backups in other backup management groups option, transaction logs are deleted only from the specified backup management group; transaction logs are not deleted from other backup management groups. On the other hand, if you clear this option, transaction logs are deleted from other backup management groups as well.

Steps

In the Actions pane, click Delete Backup.
Note: You can access Delete Backup when you connect to a member server, but not when you connect through the Database Availability Group (DAG).
If you want to display a list of the backup components on your SnapManager system, select Backup Component.
Note: You cannot select an individual backup component for deletion by using this list.
Select one or more Storage Group sets or databases whose backups are to be deleted.
To delete backups that contain some of the selected Storage Groups (in addition to the backups that contain all the selected Storage Groups), click Advanced > Delete backups that contain databases belonging to one or more storage groups.
Note: This option is useful only if you created backups that did not contain all Storage Groups in a Storage Group set.

For this backup deletion operation only, multiple backup deletions delete backups that contain any one or more of the selected databases.
Select the Backup Component.
Select the Management Group.
It is set to Standard by default. You can change Management Group to Daily, Weekly, or All.
If you want to retain up-to-the-minute restore ability for older backups in other backup management groups, click Advanced > Retain up-to-the-minute restore ability for older backups in other backup management groups.
Note: If you selected All for the backup management group, this option has no effect and is disabled.

In the specified Storage Group and backup management groups, specify those that you want to delete.

If you want to delete...	Then...
The oldest backups	In the Delete oldest backups in excess of box, specify how many of the newest backups in the specified backup management group you want to preserve.
All the backups in the specified backup management group	Select the Delete all backups in the specified management group option.
Only the backups that are older than a specified number of days	In the Delete backups older than box, specify the number of days for which you want to keep the most recent backups.

To see what backup components would be deleted with the parameters you have entered, without deleting them, click Delete Preview.
The Delete Backup Data Set Preview window is displayed. After a moment, a count and list of the backup components identified for deletion are displayed.
If, after previewing the deletion, you want to delete the backup components listed in the preview, click Delete in the Delete Backup Data Set Preview window.
The backup components listed in the preview window are deleted.
If you chose not to preview and delete the backup components, as described in Steps 9 and 10, click Delete now to delete them.
When the deletion is complete, a status popup is displayed.