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This article covers the changes to Macrium Reflect v7.2.xxxx when a synthetic full retains 1 Incremental and the retention rules are run before the current backup. This issue was first highlighted in the Macrium support forum: https://forum.macrium.com/Topic26850.aspx

The Problem

The Retention rules will automatically decrement the Incremental retention count if retention is run before an Incremental backup. If the Incremental retention count is zero the purge logic will delete all existing Incrementals that match the retention rules before creating a new Incremental. 



e.g,_Existing_backups_______________________________
Full5399587FD1FA73E2-00-00.mrimg
Inc15399587FD1FA73E2-01-01.mrimg
Inc25399587FD1FA73E2-02-02.mrimg
Inc35399587FD1FA73E2-03-03.mrimg


A) If a Synthetic Full Incremental is run retaining 1 Inc and the purge is run before the backup then the retention rules will:

  • Delete all Incrementals, 5399587FD1FA73E2-01-01.mrimg to 5399587FD1FA73E2-03-03.mrimg,
  • Create a new Incremental - 5399587FD1FA73E2-01-01.mrimg


B) If a Synthetic Full Incremental is run retaining 1 Inc, with the same base backups as A), but the purge is run after the backup then the retention rules will:

  • Create a new Incremental - 5399587FD1FA73E2-04-04.mrimg
  • Merge/consolidate 5399587FD1FA73E2-00-00.mrimg with 5399587FD1FA73E2-03-03.mrimg


Running the purge before retains an earlier restore point for the Full than when running the purge after due to Synthetic Full consolidation.

The correct way to handle the retention is the result of scenario 'B)' above.

The Solution

To keep the same restore points in both scenarios, A) will now behave as follows

  • Merge/consolidate 5399587FD1FA73E2-00-00.mrimg with 5399587FD1FA73E2-03-03.mrimg
  • Create a new Incremental  - 5399587FD1FA73E2-01-01.mrimg
The file numbering differs between A) and B) due to the timing of the backup and file deletions. This is correct and expected.
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