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Signed-off-by: hagen1778 <roman@victoriametrics.com>

docs/guides/guide-vmcluster-multiple-retention-setup/README.md

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-**Objective**
 
-Setup Victoria Metrics Cluster with support of multiple retention periods within one installation.
+> [VictoriaMetrics Enterprise](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/enterprise/) supports specifying multiple retentions for distinct sets of time series and tenants. If you are an Enterprise user, [configure multiple retentions directly through retention filters](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#retention-filters) instead of following this guide.
 
-**Enterprise Solution**
+This guide explains how to set up multiple retentions using an [open-source VictoriaMetrics Cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/).
 
-[VictoriaMetrics Enterprise](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/enterprise/) supports specifying multiple retentions
-for distinct sets of time series and [tenants](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#multitenancy)
-via [retention filters](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#retention-filters).
+## Overview
 
-**Open Source Solution**
+VictoriaMetrics retains metrics by default for **1 month**. You can change data retention with the [`-retentionPeriod` command-line flag](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/single-server-victoriametrics/#retention), but this value applies to **all time series stored** on a given `vmstorage` node and cannot be customized per tenant or per metric in the open source version. 
 
-Community version of VictoriaMetrics supports only one retention period per `vmstorage` node via [-retentionPeriod](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/single-server-victoriametrics/#retention) command-line flag.
+The core idea of this guide is to run **separate logic groups of storages** (or even clusters) with individual `-retentionPeriod` settings, while still providing a single unified write and read path via vmagent and vmselect.
 
-A multi-retention setup can be implemented by dividing a [victoriametrics cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/) into logical groups with different retentions.
+## Multi-Retention Architecture
 
-Example:
-Setup should handle 3 different retention groups 3months, 1year and 3 years.
-Solution contains 3 groups of vmstorages + vminserts and one group of vmselects. Routing is done by [vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/vmagent/)
-by [splitting data streams](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/vmagent/#splitting-data-streams-among-multiple-systems). 
-The [-retentionPeriod](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/single-server-victoriametrics/#retention) sets how long to keep the metrics.
+To support multiple retentions with the open source version of VictoriaMetrics cluster, you can split the cluster into several logical groups of storage nodes. Each group is configured with a different `-retentionPeriod` and receives only the data that must follow that retention. 
 
-The diagram below shows a proposed solution
+Each storage group is connected to a separate vminsert, while a shared vmselect layer queries across all storage groups so that dashboards and alerts continue to see a single unified VictoriaMetrics backend.
 
 ![Setup](setup.webp)
 
-**Implementation Details**
+In the example used throughout this guide, the cluster is divided into three groups: 
 
-1. Groups of vminserts A know about only vmstorages A and this is explicitly specified via `-storageNode` [configuration](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#cluster-setup). 
-1. Groups of vminserts B know about only vmstorages B and this is explicitly specified via `-storageNode` [configuration](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#cluster-setup). 
-1. Groups of vminserts C know about only vmstorages C and this is explicitly specified via `-storageNode` [configuration](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#cluster-setup). 
-1. vmselect reads data from all vmstorage nodes via `-storageNode` [configuration](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#cluster-setup) 
-   with [deduplication](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/cluster-victoriametrics/#deduplication) setting equal to vmagent's scrape interval or minimum interval between collected samples. 
-1. vmagent routes incoming metrics to the given set of `vminsert` nodes using relabeling rules specified at `-remoteWrite.urlRelabelConfig` [configuration](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/relabeling/).
+- Group A: 3-month retention.
+- Group B: 1-year retention.
+- Group C: 3-year retention. 
 
-**Multi-Tenant Setup**
+Metrics are routed to the appropriate vminsert group by splitting data streams in vmagent, so each time series is sent to exactly one retention group instead of being replicated to all groups. See [Deploying vmagent](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/guides/guide-vmcluster-multiple-retention-setup/#step3) for an example of label‑based routing that implements this split. An optional [vmauth](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/guides/guide-vmcluster-multiple-retention-setup/#additional-enhancements) layer can be added on top to restrict access to specific sub‑clusters or tenants while still keeping a unified write and read path.
 
-Every group of vmstorages can handle one tenant or multiple one. Different groups can have overlapping tenants. As vmselect reads from all vmstorage nodes, the data is aggregated on its level.
+## Implementing Multi-Retention on Kubernetes
 
-**Additional Enhancements**
+In this section, we'll install and configure the components for a multi-retention deployment of the VictoriaMetrics cluster. See [Kubernetes monitoring with VictoriaMetrics Cluster](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/guides/k8s-monitoring-via-vm-cluster/) for details on running VictoriaMetrics in Kubernetes.
 
-You can set up [vmauth](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/vmauth/) for routing data to the given vminsert group depending on the needed retention.
+Run the following command to add the VictoriaMetrics Helm repository:
+
+```shell
+helm repo add vm https://victoriametrics.github.io/helm-charts/
+helm repo update
+```
+
+### Step 1: Deploying storage groups {#step1}
+
+We'll create three storage groups. Each has a different retention period and disk size. Read [Understand Your Setup Size](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/guides/understand-your-setup-size/) to estimate how much space you will need for each group. The following table is shown as an example:
+
+
+| Group        | Retention Period | Total disk size       |
+|--------------|------------------|-----------------------|
+| `vmcluster-a`  | 3 months (`3M`)    | 80 Gi                 |
+| `vmcluster-b`  | 1 year (`1Y`)      | 300 Gi                |
+| `vmcluster-c`  | 3 years (`3Y`)     | 900 Gi                |
+
+Create a Helm values file for Group A.
+
+```shell
+cat <<EOF > vmcluster-a.yaml
+vmstorage:
+  enabled: true
+  replicaCount: 1
+  persistence:
+    size: 80Gi
+  extraArgs:
+    retentionPeriod: 3M
+  podLabels:
+    retention-group: a
+
+vminsert:
+  enabled: true
+  podLabels:
+    retention-group: a
+
+vmselect:
+  enabled: false
+EOF
+```
+
+The values file above creates vminsert and vmstorage services while turning off vmselect, which we'll deploy separately. The `retentionPeriod` flag configures how long data is kept in this group.
+
+Create the values files for Group B and Group C:
+
+```shell
+cat <<EOF > vmcluster-b.yaml
+vmstorage:
+  enabled: true
+  replicaCount: 1
+  persistence:
+    size: 300Gi
+  extraArgs:
+    retentionPeriod: 1y
+  podLabels:
+    retention-group: b
+
+vminsert:
+  enabled: true
+  podLabels:
+    retention-group: b
+
+vmselect:
+  enabled: false
+EOF
+
+
+cat <<EOF > vmcluster-c.yaml
+vmstorage:
+  enabled: true
+  replicaCount: 1
+  persistence:
+    size: 900Gi
+  extraArgs:
+    retentionPeriod: 3y
+  podLabels:
+    retention-group: c
+
+vminsert:
+  enabled: true
+  podLabels:
+    retention-group: c
+
+vmselect:
+  enabled: false
+EOF
+```
+
+Deploy the three storage groups with:
+
+```shell
+helm upgrade --install vmcluster-a vm/victoria-metrics-cluster -f vmcluster-a.yaml
+helm upgrade --install vmcluster-b vm/victoria-metrics-cluster -f vmcluster-b.yaml
+helm upgrade --install vmcluster-c vm/victoria-metrics-cluster -f vmcluster-c.yaml
+
+# Wait for all storage pods to be ready
+kubectl rollout status statefulset -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=vmcluster-a
+kubectl rollout status statefulset -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=vmcluster-b
+kubectl rollout status statefulset -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=vmcluster-c
+```
+
+### Step 2: Deploying vmselect {#step2}
+
+Next, we'll deploy a vmselect service to route queries to the storage groups.
+
+Create a Helm values file with:
+
+```shell
+cat <<EOF >vmselect.yaml
+vmstorage:
+  enabled: false
+
+vminsert:
+  enabled: false
+
+vmselect:
+  enabled: true
+  replicaCount: 1
+  suppressStorageFQDNsRender: true
+  extraArgs:
+    # Each list item is a single -storageNode flag. In this example, there is
+    # one vmstorage pod per retention group, so each entry contains a single host.
+    # If you run multiple pods per group, list them as comma-separated hosts
+    # in the same -storageNode value.
+    #
+    # The FQDN format is:
+    #   <pod>.<svc>.default.svc
+    # where pod = <release>-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage-<N>
+    # and   svc = <release>-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage
+    storageNode:
+      - "vmcluster-a-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage-0.vmcluster-a-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage.default.svc:8401"
+      - "vmcluster-b-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage-0.vmcluster-b-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage.default.svc:8401"
+      - "vmcluster-c-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage-0.vmcluster-c-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmstorage.default.svc:8401"
+EOF
+```
+
+Let's break down the file above:
+
+- Deploys vmselect as a separate Helm release. 
+- Disables vminsert and vmstorage as these services were already deployed in Step 1.
+- `suppressStorageFQDNsRender: true` turns off automatic FQDN generation for storage nodes. By default, the Helm chart auto-generates `-storageNodes` flags, but since `vmstorage` has been disabled, we need to supply them manually in `extraArgs`.
+- In `extraArgs.storageNode:` we define the vmstorage endpoints for queries. On querying, vmselect merges results across all the specified vmstorages to provide a unified view of the data.
+
+Deploy the `vmselect` release with:
+
+```shell
+helm upgrade --install vmselect vm/victoria-metrics-cluster -f vmselect.yaml
+```
+
+### Step 3: Deploying vmagent {#step3}
+
+We'll use `vmagent` to route incoming metrics to the correct retention group. For example, we can use a `retention` label for mapping metrics to storage groups in the following way:
+
+| `retention` label | Storage Group |
+|-------------------|--------------|
+| `"3mo"`           | `vmcluster-a` |
+| `"1yr"`           | `vmcluster-b` |
+| `"3yr"`           | `vmcluster-c` |
+
+
+Create the values file for vmagent:
+
+```shell
+cat <<EOF >vmagent.yaml
+service:
+  enabled: true
+remoteWrite:
+  # Group A: receives metrics with retention="3mo"
+  - url: http://vmcluster-a-victoria-metrics-cluster-vminsert:8480/insert/0/prometheus/api/v1/write
+    urlRelabelConfig:
+      - if: '{retention="3mo"}'
+        action: keep
+  # Group B: receives metrics with retention="1yr"
+  - url: http://vmcluster-b-victoria-metrics-cluster-vminsert:8480/insert/0/prometheus/api/v1/write
+    urlRelabelConfig:
+      - if: '{retention="1yr"}'
+        action: keep
+  # Group C: receives metrics with retention="3yr"
+  - url: http://vmcluster-c-victoria-metrics-cluster-vminsert:8480/insert/0/prometheus/api/v1/write
+    urlRelabelConfig:
+      - if: '{retention="3yr"}'
+        action: keep
+EOF
+```
+
+> Metrics without a matching `retention` label are silently dropped by the `keep` rules. You must ensure that every metric is labeled, or use a different routing configuration.
+
+Now deploy the vmagent release:
+
+```shell
+helm upgrade --install vmagent vm/victoria-metrics-agent -f vmagent.yaml
+```
+
+Wait for vmagent to become ready:
+
+```shell
+kubectl rollout status deploy/vmagent-victoria-metrics-agent
+```
+
+### Step 4: Verification
+
+We can send test data to verify that the data is flowing to the correct storage group.
+
+First, port-forward vmagent and vmselect:
+
+```shell
+VMAGENT_SVC=$(kubectl get svc -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=vmagent -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}')
+kubectl port-forward "svc/$VMAGENT_SVC" 8429 &
+
+VMSELECT_SVC=$(kubectl get svc -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=vmselect -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}')
+kubectl port-forward "svc/$VMSELECT_SVC" 8481 &
+```
+
+Send test metrics directly to vmagent's HTTP endpoint to exercise all three retention labels:
+
+```shell
+POD=$(kubectl get pod -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=vmagent -o jsonpath='{.items[0].metadata.name}')
+
+for retention in 3mo 1yr 3yr; do
+  kubectl exec "$POD" -- wget -qO- --post-data="test_routing{retention=\"${retention}\"} 1.0" \
+    "http://127.0.0.1:8429/api/v1/import/prometheus"
+done
+```
+
+Query the data back from vmselect (it may take around 30-60 seconds for new data to be available for queries):
+
+```shell
+for retention in 3mo 1yr 3yr; do
+  echo "-> retention=${retention}"
+  curl -s "http://localhost:8481/select/0/prometheus/api/v1/query" \
+    --data-urlencode "query=test_routing{retention=\"${retention}\"}"
+  echo
+done
+```
+
+You can also check that vmagent is forwarding data to all three groups:
+
+```shell
+curl -s http://localhost:8429/metrics | grep vmagent_remotewrite_blocks_sent_total
+```
+
+Each `url="N:secret-url"` corresponds to one `remoteWrite` entry (N=1 for Group A, N=2 for Group B, N=3 for Group C). Non-zero values confirm data is flowing.
+
+## Alternative Routing by Existing Labels
+
+The example setup above relies on a synthetic `retention` label to exist in every incoming metric.
+
+If having a `retention` label in every metric isn't practical, you can, as an alternative, rely on existing labels to map data to the correct storage group.
+
+The following example configures vmagent to route metrics based on the `environment` and `team` labels:
+
+```yaml
+# vmagent.yaml
+remoteWrite:
+  # send dev and staging data to Group A
+  - url: "http://vmcluster-a-victoria-metrics-cluster-vminsert:8480/insert/0/prometheus/api/v1/write"
+    urlRelabelConfig:
+      - if: {environment=~"dev|staging"}
+        action: keep
+  # send prod data to Group B
+  - url: "http://vmcluster-b-victoria-metrics-cluster-vminsert:8480/insert/0/prometheus/api/v1/write"
+    urlRelabelConfig:
+      - if: {environment=~"prod|production"}
+        action: keep
+  # send data from Infra and SRE teams to Group C
+  - url: "http://vmcluster-c-victoria-metrics-cluster-vminsert:8480/insert/0/prometheus/api/v1/write"
+    urlRelabelConfig:
+      - if: {team=~"infra|sre"}
+        action: keep
+```
+
+> Metrics that do not match any of the `keep` rules are dropped in the configuration above.
+
+## Additional Enhancements
+
+You can set up [vmauth](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/vmauth/) to route data to the specified vminsert group based on the required retention or to restrict which data different users can query.
+
+The following [`-auth.config`](https://docs.victoriametrics.com/victoriametrics/vmauth/#quick-start) example exposes the same vmselect backend via vmauth with two users using basic auth:
+
+- `admin`: can query **all** data across all retention groups.
+- `dev`: can query **only** time series that have `team="dev"` label, enforced via the `extra_label` query argument.
+
+```yaml
+users:
+  # User with access to all data across all retention groups
+  - username: "admin"
+    password: "foo"
+    url_map:
+      - src_paths:
+          - "/api/v1/query"
+          - "/api/v1/query_range"
+          - "/api/v1/series"
+          - "/api/v1/labels"
+          - "/api/v1/label/.+/values"
+        # vmselect service that aggregates all vmstorage groups
+        url_prefix: "http://vmselect-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmselect:8481/select/0/prometheus"
+
+  # User restricted to Dev team data only
+  - username: "dev"
+    password: "bar"
+    url_map:
+      - src_paths:
+          - "/api/v1/query"
+          - "/api/v1/query_range"
+          - "/api/v1/series"
+          - "/api/v1/labels"
+          - "/api/v1/label/.+/values"
+        # Same vmselect backend, but enforce label filter at query time
+        # by adding extra_label=team=dev to every proxied request
+        url_prefix: "http://vmselect-victoria-metrics-cluster-vmselect:8481/select/0/prometheus/?extra_label=team=dev"
+```
+
+This is useful for restricting access by team, environment, or tenant without changing the underlying storage topology.