Data Lifetime

Data Lifetime is a service that allows you to set lineage-aware retention policies on datasets in Foundry. These policies govern the deletion of transactions within a dataset on which they are applied, along with any downstream datasets.

A privacy best practice is to define retention deliberately rather than keep data by default. Data Lifetime helps organizations carry deletion decisions through derived datasets; review privacy and civil liberties in practice for related lifecycle guidance.

Data frequently experiences duplication, integration with additional data, and storage in various formats to accommodate a range of use cases. Foundry's distinct features enable data engineers to track modifications and merges back to their origin, ensuring other users can examine the data's transformation history both upstream and downstream. The structure that governs the flow of data through a system, starting from its source and extending to its various final forms, is commonly known as "data lineage". In Foundry, data flow visualization can be achieved using our interactive Data Lineage tool. Understanding the environment associated with data integrations and transformations is an essential first step when exploring the deletion process.

Regulations may require the deletion of specific data. This can involve removing all descendants within the data lineage to support a comprehensive approach to deletion. Consult your organization's legal and privacy teams to determine which data and derived versions must be removed.