Specifying an offset
You can set retention by specifying an offset from:
- The time at which the object was added to the namespace
- The current retention setting for the object
- The current time
Because you can only extend a retention period, the offset must be a positive value.
Offset syntax
To use an offset as a retention setting, specify a standard expression that conforms to this syntax:
^([RAN])?([+-]\d+y)?([+-]\d+M)?([+-]\d+w)?([+-]\d+d)?([+-]\d+h)?([+-]\d+m)?([+-]\d+s)?
The list below explains this syntax.
^
Start of the expression
( )
Sequence of terms treated as a single term
?
Indicator that the preceding term is optional
[ ]
Group of alternatives, exactly one of which must be used
+
Plus
-
Minus
R*
The current retention setting for the object
A*
The time at which the object was added to the namespace
N*
The current time
d+
An integer in the range 0 (zero) through 9,999
y
Years
M
Months
w
Weeks
d
Days
h
Hours
m
Minutes
s
Seconds
Offset examples
Here are some examples of offset values used to extend a retention period:
- This value sets the retention value to 100 years past the time when the object was stored:
A+100y
- This value sets the end of the retention period to 20 days minus five hours past the current date and time:
N+20d-5h
- This value extends the current retention period by two years and one day:
R+2y+1d