Feature Request: xlarchive retention by environment

PROBLEM

The xlarchive database has grown to a size where routine maintenance (backup, restore, encryption rotation) suffers unacceptable delays. Production releases (and optionally pre-production) must be retained at least 7 years for compliance, but the bulk of the database is non-production releases (Dev, Test, Test External, Test Hotfix) that carry no retention requirement and can be removed.

The existing archive cleanup only supports a fixed time-based cutoff -- it cannot distinguish production from non-production. We found no UI filter or API endpoint to isolate and delete archived releases by environment. Export is not suitable: production releases must remain in the database for easy access by non-technical colleagues.

REQUEST

1. Immediate cleanup
A supported method (API, script, or DB procedure) to selectively delete all non-production releases from xlarchive while keeping production (and optionally pre-production) intact and accessible via the UI. Please clarify risks/dependencies of removing xlarchive records -- or, if no supported method exists, a safe manual approach.

2. Archive lifecycle policies
Configurable retention per environment class, with automatic purge on expiry:
- Non-production (Dev, Test, Test External, Test Hotfix): 4 weeks, auto-purge
- Production (+ optional Pre-Production): 8 years, auto-purge

Requirements:
- Retention policy per environment class (prod / non-prod), configurable via UI and API
- Flexible units (days, weeks, months, years)
- Automatic purge on expiry, with an audit log of purge actions
- Optional: export-before-purge, dry-run/preview mode, grace-period notifications

RATIONALE

Without this, xlarchive grows indefinitely with releases that have no retention requirement, degrading maintenance operations and forcing manual, unsupported DB-level cleanup. A lifecycle feature fixes this permanently and enforces compliance retention automatically.

by: Florimond C. | about a day ago | Administration