How-to

Design PBS retention and schedules.

Align retention, prune, GC, verify, and backup windows so restores stay clean and performance steady.

Steps

  1. Define RPO/RTO targets. Pick daily/weekly/monthly retention that meets restore objectives.
  2. Set retention per datastore. In PBS: Datastore > Prune Options; configure keep-daily/weekly/monthly.
  3. Schedule prune before GC. Run prune during low-load windows; schedule GC after prune to free space.
  4. Stagger verify jobs. Place verify after backups and outside prune/GC to reduce contention.
  5. Document the cadence. Keep a calendar of backup, verify, prune, GC, and sync windows to avoid overlap.
  6. Review quarterly. Adjust retention as growth, compliance, or RPO/RTO needs change.

Prereqs

  • RPO/RTO targets defined
  • Backup windows known
  • Storage headroom understood
  • Verify/prune/GC run times observed

Quick checks

  • Prune completes before GC; both avoid backup windows.
  • Verify jobs succeed and don’t overlap heavy IO.
  • Retention matches policy (daily/weekly/monthly).
  • Free space trend is stable with headroom.

If something fails

  • Move prune/GC to a quieter window.
  • Reduce verify concurrency or stagger per datastore.
  • Tighten retention if space is low; expand storage if needed.
  • Re-run verify after resolving errors.

Related guides

Official docs

Proxmox references: Prune & GC and Verify jobs.

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