VictoriaMetrics Retention policy not applied

What is VictoriaMetrics Retention policy not applied

Understanding VictoriaMetrics

VictoriaMetrics is a fast, cost-effective, and scalable time-series database and monitoring solution. It is designed to handle large volumes of data with high performance and efficiency. VictoriaMetrics is often used for monitoring systems, collecting metrics, and storing time-series data.

Identifying the Symptom

One common issue users may encounter is that the retention policy is not applied as expected. This can lead to excessive data storage and increased costs, as old data is not being purged according to the defined retention settings.

Exploring the Issue

Retention Policy Misconfiguration

Retention policies in VictoriaMetrics dictate how long data should be stored before being automatically deleted. If these policies are not applied, it could be due to misconfiguration or incorrect settings in the configuration files.

Checking for Errors

Another reason for retention policies not being applied could be errors in the logs that indicate issues with the configuration or application of these policies.

Steps to Fix the Issue

Verify Retention Settings

First, ensure that the retention settings are correctly configured. Check the configuration file (usually victoria-metrics.yml or similar) for the -retentionPeriod flag. This flag should be set to the desired retention period, such as -retentionPeriod=30d for 30 days.

victoria-metrics-prod -retentionPeriod=30d

For more information on configuring retention, refer to the official documentation.

Check Logs for Errors

Inspect the VictoriaMetrics logs for any errors or warnings related to retention policies. Logs can provide insights into why the retention settings might not be applied. Use the following command to view logs:

tail -f /var/log/victoriametrics.log

Look for entries that mention retention or configuration issues.

Restart VictoriaMetrics

After verifying and correcting the configuration, restart the VictoriaMetrics service to apply the changes:

systemctl restart victoriametrics

Ensure that the service restarts without errors and that the new retention settings are in effect.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can ensure that retention policies are correctly applied in VictoriaMetrics. Proper configuration and monitoring of logs are crucial to maintaining efficient data storage and management. For further assistance, consider visiting the VictoriaMetrics GitHub issues page for community support.