Hello,
There is no straightforward & simple answer to your questions, it all 
boils down to what are your companies requirement and what are regulation 
surrounding it.
As a system admin, i would have preferred not to backup desktops atall, if 
the users need to save file temporarily for scanning, they should be 
trained and have them use a home directory etc which is on the network and 
backed up at central location.
A simple script or GPO may facilitate the actions.
Data retention and policies should be developed with input from your 
companies security & upper management's approval which do not shortchange 
or underestimate the magnitude of issues related to backup, the less you 
have to backup is probably good.
There are exceptions but they should be noted and dealt with, you will 
save a lot of desktop client licensing without sacrificing any data loss.
Not to mention, simple networker configurations and headaches of keeping 
up with constant desktop changes\cleint install issues.
Keeping index forever could lead to large client indexes and someday 
possible dB corruption\lenthly DR, diskspacce issues, performance etc.
Work to develop a good data retention policies within the framework of 
your company and implement it vigorously.
HTH



tkutil <networker-forum AT BACKUPCENTRAL DOT COM> 
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03/03/2008 08:53 AM
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Subject
[Networker] Retention Policies and ComputerName Changes






Just wondering what other peope are doing to address the need to keep 
backups forever for litigation purposes. I backup individual users 
desktops as a DR effort because our CAD systems holds files local to the 
user while they modify them. However, users also store files locally even 
though they shouldn't. To compound the problem we use the serial number of 
the computer as the computer name. Since we lease, the computer name 
changes and I start a new client and delete the old client in Networker. 
Is there a better way to do this so that I can keep the client index 
forever if needed?

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