---
title: "protectionpolicy create"
slug: "protectionpolicy-create"
tags: ["5.4"]
updated: 2026-10-28T01:53:11Z
published: 2026-10-28T01:53:11Z
canonical: "docs.vastdata.com/protectionpolicy-create"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vastdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# protectionpolicy create

This command creates a protection policy.

## Usage

```plaintext
protectionpolicy create --clone-type CLOUD_REPLICATION|LOCAL|NATIVE_REPLICATION
                        --name POLICY_NAME 
                        --schedule SCHEDULE 
                        --snapshot-prefix PREFIX
                        [--peer-id PEER_ID]
                        [--enable-lock]
```

## Required Parameters

| `--clone-type CLOUD_REPLICATION\|NATIVE_REPLICATION\|LOCAL` | Specifies what type of protection to configure on the path: - `CLOUD_REPLICATION`. Take local snapshots and replicate them to an S3 replication peer. - `NATIVE_REPLICATION`. Take local snapshots and replicate them to an async replication peer. - `LOCAL`. Take snapshots on the local cluster only. |
| --- | --- |
| `--name POLICY_NAME` | Specifies a name for the protection policy. |
| `--schedule SCHEDULE` | Defines the schedule for snapshots and replication. The schedule includes a period defined as a number of time units, a start date and time, a retention time limit for local snapshots and, for async replication, a retention time for remote snapshots. Specify `SCHEDULE` in the following format: ```plaintext every <number><time units> start at YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS keep-local <number><time units> keep-remote <number><time units> ``` Where: - `&lt;time units&gt;` can be any of the following: - s - seconds - m - minutes - h - hours - d - days - W - weeks - M - months - Y - years > [!NOTE] > Notice > > The W, M and Y options are available starting with VAST Cluster 4.6.0-SP22. - `keep-local` sets the amount of time to retain each local snapshot on the cluster. > [!NOTE] > Note > > If `--clone-type` is set to `CLOUD_REPLICATION`, then the minimum supported period is 6 hours, which can be specified as *6h*. - `keep-remote` sets the amount of time to retain each snapshot on an async replication remote peer. > [!NOTE] > Note > > S3 backups do not expire and do not have a retention period. Example: `--schedule every 90m start-at 2025-07-27 20:10:35 keep-local 10h keep-remote 7d` |
| `--snapshot-prefix PREFIX` | Specifies the prefix to use in the names of snapshots. The name of each snapshot will be *<prefix>_<timestamp>*, where *<prefix>* is the prefix specified here and *<timestamp>* is the time the snapshot is created, in the format `yyyy-mm-ddTHH:MM:SS.SSSSSSzzz` (`T` denotes time and doesn't represent a value, `zzz` is the timezone, and the time is accurate to the microsecond). For example, if the prefix is *dev*, a snapshot taken at 8:15 pm UTC on 20th November 2024 would be named *dev_2024-11-20T20:15:06.144783UTC*. |
| `--enable-lock` | Makes the policy indestructible. Once this setting is enabled, deleting or modifying the protection policy requires unlocking the cluster's indestructibility mechanism. |

## Options

| `--peer-id PEER_ID` | Specifies the replication peer if `--clone-type` is either `CLOUD_REPLICATION` or `NATIVE_REPLICATION`. If `--clone-type` is `CLOUD_REPLICATION`, specify the ID of an S3 replication peer. If `--clone-type` is `NATIVE_REPLICATION`, specify the ID of an async replication peer. Specify the ID as an integer. |
| --- | --- |

## Example

```plaintext
vcli: admin> protectionpolicy create --schedule every 90m start at 2025-07-27 20:10:35 keep-local 10h keep-remote 10d --prefix Snapdir1 --clone-type NATIVE_REPLICATION  --name protect-pol1 --peer-id 1
```