About storage lifecycle policy versions
Once a storage lifecycle policy is configured, it runs according to a single configuration or definition. The definition affects the operations once they begin to run as well as the copies once the image is in process.
The ability to create SLP versions lets administrators safely modify a definition without waiting until all of the copies that are associated with the SLP have been processed. Each copy that an SLP manages is tagged with the SLP name and the SLP version number. These two attributes are written into the image header, in the NetBackup image catalog. Whenever an administrator creates or changes an SLP, NetBackup creates a new version (between 0 and n). New jobs use the most recent SLP version.
When a new job is submitted to the Activity Monitor, the job is tagged with the most recent SLP version number. The processing of a copy that is associated with a version remains fixed according to that version of the SLP definition. It is fixed at job time and does not change, unless the administrator uses the nbstl command to modify an existing version.
An SLP version remains as long as there are any incomplete images that refer to the version.