User guide

The outdated backup (marked with the icon) will be kept until all backups that depend on it

also become outdated. Then, all the chain will be deleted at once during the regular cleanup. If

you chose moving outdated backups to the next location, the backup will be copied there

without delay. Only its deletion from the current location is postponed.

This mode helps to avoid the potentially time-consuming consolidation but requires extra space

for storing backups whose deletion is postponed. The archive size and/or the backup age or

number can exceed the values you specify.

This mode is not available for Acronis Online Backup Storage when you copy or move backups

there. In the online storage, all backups are incremental except the first backup of an archive

which is always full. This chain cannot be entirely deleted because the most recent backup must

always be kept.

 Consolidate these backups

The software will consolidate the backup that is subject to deletion or movement, with the next

dependent backup. For example, the retention rules require to delete a full backup but to retain

the next incremental one. The backups will be combined into a single full backup which will be

dated with the incremental backup date. When an incremental or differential backup from the

middle of the chain is deleted, the resulting backup type will be incremental.

This mode ensures that after each cleanup the archive size and the age or number of backups are

within the bounds you specify. The consolidation, however, may take a lot of time and system

resources. You still need some extra space in the vault for temporary files created during

consolidation.

This mode is not available if you selected the Archive size greater than rule for any archive

location except for Acronis Online Backup Storage.

What you need to know about consolidation

Please be aware that consolidation is just a method of deletion but not an alternative to deletion.

The resulting backup will not contain data that was present in the deleted backup and was

absent from the retained incremental or differential backup.

4.5.5 Replication/cleanup inactivity time

This option is effective only if you set up replication or retention rules (p. 71) for the backups.

This option defines a time period when starting replication or applying retention rules is not allowed.

The operations will be performed when the inactivity time ends, if the machine is powered on at that

moment. The operations that had started before the inactivity time began continue without

interruption.

The inactivity time affects all locations, including the primary one.

The preset is: Disabled.

To specify the inactivity time, select the Do not start replication/cleanup within the following time

check box, and then select the days and the time period during the day.

Usage example

You may want to use this option to separate the backup process from replication or cleanup. For

example, suppose that you back up machines locally during the day and replicate the backups to a

network folder. Make the inactivity time contain the working hours. Replication will be performed

after the working hours, when network load is lower.