ASR cache storage account soft delete settings

Hello @Nick D'Angelo

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Q&A platform.

For Azure Site Recovery (ASR) cache storage accounts, no special configuration is required for soft delete settings beyond the default storage account configuration. Microsoft does not mandate disabling soft delete or changing retention settings for ASR cache accounts, and ASR works as expected with the default settings.

From a service perspective:

• The cache storage account is used only for temporary replication data.
• Cache data is transient and can always be regenerated by ASR.
• ASR replication does not depend on recovering deleted cache data.

Because of this, Microsoft documentation does not list soft delete configuration as a requirement or prerequisite for ASR cache storage accounts.

Soft delete behavior depends on the storage service used by the cache account:

• Blob soft delete / container soft delete Deleted blobs or containers are retained for the configured retention period (1–365 days) and continue to consume storage during that period.
• Azure File share soft delete (if applicable) Deleted file shares remain soft‑deleted for the retention period and count toward quota and billing until expiry.

This behavior is storage‑level protection and does not change ASR functionality. Retention changes apply only to future deletions, and disabling soft delete does not immediately remove already soft‑deleted data.

Since ASR cache data has no recovery value:

• You can leave soft delete at default settings — this is fully supported.
• Some customers choose to reduce the retention period to limit storage consumption in high‑churn environments.
• Disabling soft delete is optional, not required, and is a cost decision, not an ASR requirement.

Also note that soft delete does not protect the storage account itself. If protection against accidental deletion of the storage account is required, Microsoft recommends using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) locks, not soft delete.

You can refer below documents for more details.

• Azure Site Recovery overview and architecture (cache account purpose): https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/site-recovery/site-recovery-overview
• Azure Site Recovery – Azure‑to‑Azure architecture (documents cache storage usage): https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/site-recovery/azure-to-azure-architecture
• Azure Blob soft delete (behavior, retention, billing impact): https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/storage/blobs/soft-delete-blob-overview
• Azure Files soft delete behavior: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/storage/files/soft-delete-overview

So, there is no Microsoft requirement to disable soft delete for an ASR cache storage account. ASR functions normally with default storage settings. Any change to soft delete retention is an optional cost‑optimization choice, not a functional or support requirement.

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Thanks,

Suchitra.

For an Azure Site Recovery (ASR) cache storage account, no special configuration of soft delete is required beyond the defaults, but the impact of soft delete depends on which storage service is used and the retention period chosen:

1. Blob cache scenarios (if using blobs for cache/logs)
   • Blob soft delete and container soft delete protect against accidental deletion of cache blobs or containers.
   • When enabled, deleted blobs/containers are retained for the configured retention period (1–365 days) before permanent deletion. During that time they still consume capacity and may affect quota/billing.
   • Retention changes apply only to objects deleted after the change; previously deleted data follows the old retention setting.
   • Disabling soft delete does not immediately remove already soft-deleted blobs/containers; they are removed only when their original retention window expires.
   Relevant behaviors:
   • Blob soft delete lets restore individual blobs/versions/snapshots, but not entire containers. Container soft delete is needed to restore a deleted container and its contents.
   • Neither blob nor container soft delete protects against deletion of the storage account itself; a Resource Manager lock is required for that.
2. File share cache scenarios (if ASR uses Azure Files in the cache account)
   • File share soft delete is enabled at the storage account level and applies to all file shares.
   • Deleted file shares remain in a soft-deleted state for 1–365 days (default 7) and continue to count against storage quota until expiry.
   • To permanently delete a soft-deleted share before expiry, the sequence is: undelete → disable soft delete → delete again → (optionally) re-enable soft delete.
3. Practical guidance for an ASR cache account
   • Protection vs. capacity: A longer retention period increases protection against accidental deletion of cache data but also increases storage consumption if deletions occur. For a cache account (where data is transient and can be regenerated by ASR), many administrators choose a shorter retention period (for example, close to the minimum) or leave defaults, rather than disabling soft delete entirely.
   • Disabling soft delete: This is generally only necessary if there is a strong requirement to immediately and permanently reclaim space after deletions and there is confidence that accidental deletions will not occur. For ASR cache data, disabling soft delete is usually a capacity/operations choice, not a functional requirement for ASR.
   • Account deletion and vault cleanup: Soft-deleted items in a storage account do not block ASR vault deletion, but soft-deleted backup items in a Recovery Services vault do. Plan retention windows accordingly when cleaning up disaster recovery or backup environments.

In summary, ASR does not require disabling soft delete on the cache storage account. A short but nonzero retention period is often a good balance: it provides safety against accidental deletions without holding cache data for long.

References:

• Soft delete for blobs
• Enable soft delete for blobs
• Soft delete for containers
• Enable and manage soft delete for containers
• Azure file share soft-delete
• No option to stop or delete - Microsoft Q&A