Data purging and free space

[rudra132001]

Progress 8.x
OS - HPUx

If data is purged from any table in the database, what happens to the space that is set free post purging ? Does it get utilized automatically or what can we do to release the free space ?

TIA

 

[Cringer]

Not sure about how it works in 8 (you should upgrade urgently!), but the space freed up in later versions would be reused by other records if possible. In order to free up the space on disk (reducing the size of storage areas) you would need to do a dump and load of the data.

 

[TomBascom]

Version 8 is ancient, obsolete and unsupported. You should upgrade.

But even in ancient, obsolete and unsupported releases space is automatically reused after a record is deleted.

The db "footprint" on disk will never shrink.

If you want to reclaim that space from an OS perspective you will need to dump & load.

You can reclaim bi file space with "truncate bi" (same for ai; you do, of course, have after-imaging enabled and running because that is what all responsible DBAs do. Especially when they are running on ancient, obsolete and unsupported releases that might fall over and die at any moment...)

Modern releases have a "truncate area" command that can potentially be used if you are purging a table all the way down to zero. The latest and greatest releases have "table partitioning" which can be a very useful tool depending on why you are purging and what you are hoping to accomplish.

 

[rudra132001]

Thank you Cringer and Tom for the clarifications.