Skip to main content
Last reviewed: March 5, 2026 Owner: Security + Engineering Review cadence: Quarterly Status: Implemented This page defines the hosted default data scope, retention behavior, and how that changes in self-hosted deployments.

What this page answers

  • Which data classes are stored in the hosted model
  • What the default retention and deletion behavior is
  • How ownership changes between hosted and self-hosted environments

Current state (as of March 5, 2026)

Tero is designed to minimize retained data. The control plane stores the metadata required to operate the product, not full raw telemetry payloads as the default system-of-record model.

Data lifecycle diagram (hosted default)

Data classes and handling model (hosted default)

Data classStored in Tero-hostedTypical purpose
Account and workspace configurationYesService setup and access control
Telemetry metadata (schema, field types, volume patterns)YesCatalog, analysis, and policy generation
Full raw telemetry contentNo (default model)Source of record remains customer observability platform
Authentication and session metadataYesAuthentication and authorization workflows
Billing metadata (self-service)Limited scope onlyBilling operations

Retention and deletion baseline

Data typeDefault retention
Account and workspace dataWhile account or workspace is active
Metadata required for service operationWhile workspace is active
Backups30 days
When a customer account or workspace is deleted, data is removed from active systems within 30 days. Backup copies age out under backup-retention windows.

Hosted vs self-hosted boundary

AreaTero-hostedSelf-hosted
Data locality controlTero-hosted region modelCustomer-selected region and infrastructure
Infrastructure boundaryTero-operatedCustomer-operated
Subprocessor scopeTero-managed service stackCustomer-selected stack
Data deletion executionTero-operatedCustomer-operated runtime

Evidence you can request

TopicPrimary evidence
High-level storage modelOverview
Ownership split by deploymentShared Responsibility
Retention and deletion expectationsData Retention
Subprocessor scopeSubprocessors and Third Parties

Exceptions and governance

Any exception to standard handling or retention behavior requires documented risk, Security and Engineering approval, compensating controls, and a time-bound remediation plan. Evidence requests: