System and method for data retention in a decentralized system

A method for managing a node in a data management system, comprising:

• making an identification of a data protection strategy change event for data in a persistent storage of the node;
• in response to the identification:
• making a determination that the data protection strategy change event is a scale down event;
• in response to the determination:
• identifying a number of replicas of the data in other nodes that are in a predetermined state;
• making a second determination that the number of the replicas of the data in the other nodes that are in the predetermined state exceeds a threshold specified by a data protection policy associated with the data protection strategy change event;
• and
• reducing the number of replicas that exceed the threshold to be less than the threshold in response to the second determination.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for managing a node in a data management system, the method comprising:

• making an identification of a data protection strategy change event for data in a persistent storage of the node;
• in response to the identification:
• making a determination that the data protection strategy change event is a scale down event;
• in response to the determination:
• identifying a number of replicas of the data in other nodes that are in a predetermined state;
• making a second determination that the number of the replicas of the data in the other nodes that are in the predetermined state exceeds a threshold specified by a data protection policy associated with the data protection strategy change event;
• and
• reducing the number of replicas that exceed the threshold to be less than the threshold in response to the second determination.