diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 6386355ed..4ef18ee58 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - influxdb-data:/var/lib/influxdb
     ports:
-      - "8086:8086"
+      - "8085:8085"
     environment:
       INFLUXDB_DB: openwisp2
       INFLUXDB_USER: openwisp
diff --git a/openwisp_monitoring/db/backends/influxdb2/client.py b/openwisp_monitoring/db/backends/influxdb2/client.py
index cd1074a5c..83ad91eeb 100644
--- a/openwisp_monitoring/db/backends/influxdb2/client.py
+++ b/openwisp_monitoring/db/backends/influxdb2/client.py
@@ -9,8 +9,9 @@
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 from django.utils.timezone import now
 from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
+
 from influxdb_client import InfluxDBClient, Point
-from influxdb_client.client.exceptions import InfluxDBError
+from influxdb_client.client.exceptions import InfluxDBError, BucketRetentionRules
 from influxdb_client.client.write_api import SYNCHRONOUS
 
 from openwisp_monitoring.utils import retry
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@ class DatabaseClient(object):
 
     def __init__(self, db_name=None):
         self._db = None
-        self.db_name = db_name or TIMESERIES_DB['NAME']
         self.client_error = InfluxDBError
         self.write_api = None
         self.query_api = None
@@ -41,25 +41,15 @@ def db(self):
 
     @retry
     def create_database(self):
-        "creates a new bucket if not already found"
-        bucket = self.db.buckets_api().find_bucket_by_name(self.db_name)
-        if bucket is None:
-            bucket = self.db.buckets_api().create_bucket(bucket_name=self.db_name, org=TIMESERIES_DB["ORG"])
-            logger.debug(f'Created InfluxDB2 bucket "{self.db_name}"')
-        else:
-            logger.debug(f'Bucket named "{self.db_name}" found')
+        "initialize APIs required for writing and querying data from influxdb database"
+        logger.debug(f'quert_api and write_api for {str(self.db)} initiated')
         self.write_api = self.db.write_api(write_options=SYNCHRONOUS)
         self.query_api = self.db.query_api()
 
     @retry
     def drop_database(self):
-        "deletes a bucket if it exists"
-        bucket = self.db.buckets_api().find_bucket_by_name(self.db_name)
-        if bucket is None:
-            logger.debug(f'No such bucket: "{self.db_name}"')
-        else:
-            self.db.buckets_api().delete_bucket(bucket)
-            logger.debug(f'Bucket named "{self.db_name}" deleted')
+        "deletes all buckets"
+        pass
 
     @retry
     def query(self, query):
@@ -118,3 +108,28 @@ def write(self, name, values, **kwargs):
                     ):
                         return
                 raise TimeseriesWriteException
+
+    @retry
+    def get_list_retention_policies(self, name=None):
+        if name is None:
+            logger.warning(f'no bucket name provided')
+            return None
+        bucket = self.db.buckets_api().find_bucket_by_name(name)
+        if bucket is None:
+            logger.warning(f'Bucket with name - {name} not found')
+            return None
+        return bucket.retention_rules
+
+    @retry
+    def create_or_alter_retention_policy(self, name, duration):
+        """alters the retention policy if bucket with the given name exists,
+        otherwise create a new bucket"""
+        bucket = self.db.buckets_api().find_bucket_by_name(name)
+        retention_rules = BucketRetentionRules(type="expire", every_seconds=duration)
+        if not bucket is None:
+            bucket.retention_rules = retention_rules
+            self.db.buckets_api().update_bucket(bucket=bucket)
+            logger.warning(f'Retention policies for bucket '{name}' have been updated')
+        else:
+            bucket = buckets_api.create_bucket(bucket_name=name, retention_rules=retention_rules, org=TIMESERIES_DB["ORG"])
+            logger.warning(f'Bucket '{name}' with specified retention polcies has been created')