Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central brings together financial management, sales, purchasing, inventory, projects, and operational processes in one business management platform. Retention Policy, on the other hand, is a set of guidelines that outline how long certain types of data should be retained and when it should be deleted.
As Business Central accumulates system logs, archived records, and other operational data, the database can become cluttered with information that no longer has business value. Retention policies provide a controlled way to remove eligible records after an agreed period, helping organisations manage database growth and keep administrative pages focused on relevant data.
The following guide explains how to configure retention policies for commonly used Business Central log tables.
Note: Before configuring a retention policy, confirm the required retention period with the relevant records owner, finance team, legal adviser, or compliance team. When a retention policy is applied, eligible records that have reached the end of the specified period are deleted from Business Central.
Retention Policy setup process
Setting up a new Retention Policy for the Job Queue Entries
1. Search Retention Policy
2. Click New -> Click three dots … and select Job Queue Log Entry or enter Table ID 474.
3. Select the Retention period, for example One Month or the retention period you like to retain; this will the enable the process for you once you select the Retention period.
4. If you like to manually run the process you can do so by clicking on Process -> Apply manually.
5. Next Retention Policy requires the following:
6. You need to enable the Table ID 3905 Retention Policy Log Entries. This will clear those logs as well as those that get created from the Retention Policies being run.
7. You can change that from 6 months down to 1 month, though the default is set to 6 months.
8. If you are using the Change Log Entries Table ID 405, you can then set that up as well: this will help you reduce those Change Logs. If Change Log is enabled, review how long entries must remain available before applying a retention policy. The appropriate period depends on how your organisation uses the log and any applicable audit, security, or regulatory requirements. If entries must be retained outside Business Central, use an approved and appropriately controlled archival process. If not set up, you don't need to Change Log Entries setup.
How to check if your Change Log Entries are set:
Go to the Change Log Entries page and view if there are any entries as that will then need to be set to clear those entries using point 8.
Beyond following these steps, you can engage our expert consultants to guide you through the process of implementing your retention policy in Business Central. This will entail identifying the data that needs to be retained, creating retention rules, configuring retention schedules, and implementing the policy across your organisation. With this policy in place, you can efficiently manage and preserve your business data, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. With the help of our team, you can ensure that your policy is correctly configured and effectively implemented, providing your business with the security and peace of mind it needs.
What can you set in the Business Central retention policy?
In Business Central, you can set up a retention policy to manage the lifecycle of different types of data. Retention policies can automatically delete expired records from supported tables, including selected system logs, archived records, and eligible tables added by extensions. This helps to ensure that your database does not become cluttered with unnecessary data and that your system runs smoothly. By setting up a retention policy, you can support your organisation’s data retention and records-management requirements and avoid any legal or financial risks associated with data retention.
