Retention policy
Cloud.gov retains platform logs and metrics to support agency investigations and continuous monitoring.
Storage windows
- Active (hot): readily searchable and accessible without restoration.
- Cold: recoverable upon request within a reasonable timeframe for investigations. (Source: OMB M-21-31.)
What Cloud.gov retains
See "Available logs and metrics" for the list of logs and metrics retained by Cloud.gov Logs.
Retention windows
Retention for logs aligns to OMB M-21-31 requirements for 12 months active (hot) storage plus 18 months cold storage (total 30 months).
Logs and metrics are ingested to hot and cold storage at the same time, so the retention windows for hot and cold storage are concurrent.
| Data type | Active (hot) | Cold |
|---|---|---|
| Logs | 12 months | 30 months |
| Metrics | 90 days | 30 months |
Retrieval and eDiscovery
- Active window: data is searchable in OpenSearch Dashboards without restoration.
- Cold window: data can be restored upon request for investigations or legal holds. Coordinate with support@cloud.gov.
- Agencies should maintain independent exports for mission-specific eDiscovery, legal, or extended retention beyond the federal baseline. Customer Responsibility. (Source: OMB M-21-31.)