FYI do NOT use nearline for Google storage when setting up backups with file rotation !!!!

[QueBall]

Ok. Just a lesson learned (kind of the hard way)
on step 2 here: https://www.3cx.com/docs/google-cloud-storage/
it says "Storage class - select the appropriate storage class for your use."
It SHOULD say "only use STANDARD storage!"

Do NOT change the default storage class of your Google Storage buckets to nearline or even worse Coldline or Archive in an effort to save money. 3cx backup rotation does not appear to be compatible with Google storage nearline storage class or any other storage class with a minimum retention fee.

Every night, it will move/copy your previous backup to a new file name and the way that Google bills you for nearline, coldline, or archive means that you are charged for an early delete operation and file read on that object. Even though it still exists, and the file name simply changed Google will charge you an early delete fee for the remaining minimum usage plus the cost to read that item when renaming it every day. So for Nearline you get billed for 29 extra days, for coldline you would be billed for 89 days, for archive 364 days of usage every night.

You effectively multiply your costs by 30x when using nearline. 90x for coldline, or 365x for archive. So if you are wondering why your Google Storage bill for 3cx backups is so bloody expensive this is the likely reason.


My suggestion:
3cx should change the way they use the google (and other cloud) storage to avoid renaming files every night and instead name the backups with the date and time stamp and then never touch the file again until your limit of backups is reached when it can then delete it.
This file rotation operation causes Google to charge each rename as a new object and because nearline has a 30 day retention minimum every day it charges you for a full 30 days on each renamed object.

Whatever 3cx is doing for file rotation, it should be updated to avoid any rename or copy operations.

 

[cobaltit]

Even if 3CX didn't rename the files, and just deleted them, if you kept 7 days before deleting you would still be paying for that same length of time. So the moral of the story is know what storage options are when you pick them.

 

[QueBall]

Even if 3CX didn't rename the files, and just deleted them, if you kept 7 days before deleting you would still be paying for that same length of time. So the moral of the story is know what storage options are when you pick them.

True. But it was FYI post.

If someone was keeping only 7 days they would be less likely to consider the 30 day nearline option. If you were thinking of keeping 28 days then you could "assume" nearline was a reasonable option to pair with that choice while in fact it exacerbates the problem.

The FYI in the title is meant to advise others and perhaps prod 3cx to revise the documentation to make it clear that their rotation strategy is not compatible with any of the other storage classes. They should advise anyone following their directions of the problems you would face if choosing anything other than the standard storage retention option.

I can also assume the author of the 3cx documentation may not have considered this issue when writing those instructions otherwise they would be more likely to specify that standard storage should be used. I would not have caught it myself unless it was pointed out.

So I'm pointing it out.

 

[cobaltit]

Absolutely and hopefully it saves others from learning the hard way. I was just pointing out that changing how they backup isn't really going to solve the issue from an unexpected cost issue.