Elastic data lifecycle optimisation

Implement approved ILM, tiering and retention controls across your Elastic data classes. Fixed-scope platform delivery funded from your advisory credit pool, with top-ups available anytime.

Discuss this deliverable with a specialist

Outcome

The selected data classes use the approved lifecycle, tiering and retention controls and pass the recorded policy and movement checks.


Overview

Retention and tiering decisions are approved internally but not yet configured or enforced in Elastic. This deliverable translates defined retention mandates into automated Index Lifecycle Management (ILM) policies, balancing storage performance and capacity across hot, warm, cold and frozen tiers.

Service request options

Option Credits Scope & Objective Boundary
Single policy 1,500 Implement one already-approved lifecycle or retention policy for one defined data class with no broad migration or reindexing.
Standard 3,000 One data class with a bounded multi-phase policy set and controlled transition verification.
Multi-class 6,000 Up to three named data classes with coordinated approved policies and bounded migration exposure. Requires Delivery approval.
Advanced 9,000 Multiple coordinated data classes or policy sets within one Elastic platform boundary, with staged transition, bounded reindexing or migration exposure, recovery controls, and formal verification. Requires Delivery approval.

Scope

  • Configure approved lifecycle policies and phase actions (hot, warm, cold, frozen, delete).
  • Attach policies to named index templates, component templates or data streams.
  • Execute bounded transition or migration steps for active indices within the agreed boundary.
  • Validate policy execution, rollover triggers and tier allocation behaviour.
  • Document configured lifecycle policies, recovery checks and operational verification evidence.

Customer responsibilities

  • Provide approved business, legal and compliance retention decisions prior to activation.
  • Attach policies to named index templates, component templates or data streams.
  • Designate a platform owner with authority to approve lifecycle phase transitions.
  • Supply historical data volume profiles and storage capacity constraints.
  • Grant administrative cluster access required to configure templates and ILM rules.
  • Provide scheduled change windows and participate in final policy verification.

Prerequisites and assumptions

Retention and disposal criteria must already be approved by your organisation; this deliverable does not define compliance retention windows. Single Policy and Standard options require a settled target policy. Multi-class and Advanced require Delivery approval; Advanced also requires an agreed staged transition and bounded migration plan.

Out of scope

  • Providing legal, statutory or compliance advice on retention periods.
  • Resolving disputed internal retention requirements.
  • Unbounded cluster data migrations, wholesale historical backfills or storage hardware provisioning.
  • Broad data remediation or application code modifications.
  • Guaranteed financial currency savings or cluster architecture redesigns.

Delivery approach

  • 1. Confirm approved policy: Validate target retention windows, tier phases and designated data classes.
  • 2. Baseline: Inspect existing indices, templates and current storage consumption.
  • 3. Configure: Define ILM policies and map them to the relevant index and component templates.
  • 4. Transition: Apply policies to target data streams and initiate controlled transition steps.
  • 5. Verify: Confirm rollover execution, phase movements, allocation rules and safe deletion.
  • 6. Complete: Export configuration records, compile test evidence and close handover.

Completion and evidence

The named data classes carry the approved policies, and recorded allocation, rollover, retention and safe-deletion checks pass. Evidence delivered at sign-off includes:

  • Exported JSON definitions of configured ILM policies.
  • Index and component template association mappings.
  • _ilm/explain verification logs confirming active lifecycle tracking.
  • Verified tier allocation and transition records.
  • Formal sign-off record and handover documentation.

Delivery credits

This deliverable is available exclusively through Elastic Specialist Advisory. Once your Service Advisor and Delivery qualify the Service Request, the applicable credits are allocated from your available credit pool. Delivery credits represent the defined technical result, not consulting hours.

If the scope changes

If qualification or execution uncovers dependencies outside the agreed boundary (such as missing snapshot repositories, incompatible shard allocations, or unapproved retention definitions), work pauses immediately. Your Service Advisor will requalify the request to an appropriate option, another deliverable, or a larger governed engagement before extra scope is executed or additional credits are consumed.

How to use this deliverable

  • 1. Review your data retention and storage goals during your bi-weekly Advisory working session.
  • 2. Your service advisor confirms technical readiness and selects the correct variant (single policy, standard, multi-class or advanced).
  • 3. The Service Request is formally activated, locking scope, verification criteria and credits.
  • 4. Delivery applies and verifies the policies, providing documented evidence for sign-off.

Delivery reference

  • Service family: HYPR Serve
  • Outcome ID: EO-DLCY
  • Specification Version: 1.3
  • Effective Date: 23 September 2026
  • Delivery applies and verifies the policies, providing documented evidence for sign-off.

Governing scope: Observata legal centre