How this calculator works
Compression percentage means stored size divided by original size: 25% stores one quarter of the raw bytes. Daily volume and compression are assumed constant. Active uncompressed logs, indexes, replicas and filesystem overhead need additional headroom.
The formula
Raw retained size = daily size × retention days. Stored size = raw retained size × compressed percentage / 100.A quick example
Ten GB per day for 30 days is 300 GB raw. If compressed files occupy 25% of their original size, the estimate is 75 GB.
How to use this calculator
- Choose the settings that match your scenario, using the units shown beside each field.
- Enter uncompressed logs per day (gb), retention (days), compressed size as percentage of original (%).
- Calculate, then review the method and assumptions alongside the results.
A few common questions
Is 25% a compression saving or a size ratio?
It is a size ratio. The stored files use 25% of the original size, corresponding to a 75% reduction.
Does this enforce a retention policy?
No. Configure and test rotation and deletion separately on the system that stores the logs.