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There is no default, automatic space management; you are responsible for tracking disk space and making sure database backup and archive sets don't fill up your server's disk space. However, the Space Management folder in Management allows you to enable a few automatic settings that help manage the database size and disk space. You can:
Archive databases that become inactive
Delete older archive sets
Delete old records from the live database
Delete old snapshots from the live database
Delete older backup sets
Space Management settings are executed regularly as a database job and affect only locations specified in Database Configuration. Refer to the Maintenance - Space Management and Data Retention jobs under Jobs Management to view the schedule (the default is to run once a month on the first day of the month) and the job history.
To enable space management:
Check the first option, Enable Automatic Space Management, to activate the disk space management options. Clear this option if you do NOT want to use Space Management. It is possible to use the Windows file system to move and/or delete archive and backup sets.
Check the type of Space Management you
wish to use (see below). Enter (or use the arrows to select) the number
of days after which to make deletions.
Enter 1 in the days field to remove all days except today. Enter 0 in
the days field to remove all days including today.
Click Save at the bottom of the Space Management pane to save your settings.
Click Delete at the bottom of the pane to delete event data from the databases right now. See Deleting Event Data.
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If you leave Space Management without saving, a prompt appears. |
If Dashboard users generate regular reports and don't require frequent access to past data, archiving STORAGE databases to another location can save disk space for new, ongoing STORAGE databases. Remember, you can archive only a database that has reached the maximum size. See Archiving a Database for more about archiving.
To automatically archive Storage databases:
Check Archive Storage Databases older than n day(s) if you want to automatically archive any STORAGE database where the last record inserted is older than the specified number of days. Type or use the arrows to set the number of days. Clear this option if you don't want automatic archiving.
Keep these points in mind:
The number of days you enter specifies how long the database is inactive before it is automatically archived. With "30 days" as the setting, a STORAGE database that received its last record exactly 30 days ago will be archived tomorrow.
You can assume that an inactive STORAGE database is not receiving new records and is not the currently active database. The database maximum size has been reached and a new STORAGE database has been automatically started.
A STORAGE database can be archived only after reaching its maximum size. No database will be archived until it reaches this maximum size.
An Archive moves the STORAGE database from the currently active databases to an "archive set" at a location you specify. It can be restored as needed.
To archive a database as soon as it becomes full (and when an archive job is set to occur), you would enter 0.
If you are automatically archiving STORAGE databases (the above option), you may also want to automatically control the archives created, discarding those older than a certain time period. Keep in mind that your regular database Backups provide the "safety net" for your system.
To automatically delete archive sets:
Check Delete Archive Sets old than n day(s) to automatically delete any Archive set that was archived more than the specified number of days ago. Type or use the arrows to set the number of days. Clear this item if you don't what automatic deletion of archives.
Keep these points in mind:
The number of days specifies the "age" of the archive set. With "60 days" as the setting, an archive set created 60 days ago will be deleted tomorrow.
The archive set(s) must be on the local Data Vault hard drive (at a location known to the Dashboard) in order to be automatically deleted.
To delete ALL archive sets, you would enter 0.
If you are not concerned with archiving data, you can simply remove data records from the live database after they reach a certain age. The Data Retention job performs this task.
To automatically delete data:
Check Delete Records older than n day(s). Type in the days field or use the arrows to specify after how many days to delete transactions. Clear this option to leave the data as is, so that it can be archived.
Keep these points in mind:
The number of days specifies the "age" of the data records. With "60 days" as the setting, any recordings stored in a currently active STORAGE database 60 days ago will be deleted tomorrow.
The deleted data is gone forever, unless it was present for a Full Backup, which can be restored.
If the criteria for deleting the data (e.g., older than 30 days) deletes ALL data in the database, the whole database will be dropped. For example, if all data in STORAGE 001 is older than 30 days, STORAGE 001 is dropped.
If the whole database is dropped, Spector 360 will continue creating new databases (002, 003, 004, etc.). The 001 database can be retrieved only by restoring a Full Backup from a time before the database was dropped.
This option does not affect archived databases.
To delete ALL records, you would enter 0.
Screen Snapshot files can take up a great deal of disk space, especially for an installation with many Clients or using a lot of Snapshot "Triggers." If archiving these photographic images of user screens is not a concern, you should remove older files from the File Storage Location folder to make room for new ones. The Data Retention job performs this task.
To automatically delete snapshot files:
Check Delete Snapshots older than n day(s). Type in the days field or use the arrows to set a number of days. Clear this option to preserve all Screen Snapshots in archives.
Keep these points in mind:
If you include Screen Snapshots with the Archive procedure (see Database Configuration), they will be archived with their associated data, and the archive can be moved to another location. Otherwise, Screen Snapshots remain indefinitely in the File Storage Location folder.
The number of days specifies the "age" of the Screen Snapshot file. With "90 days" as the setting, any files stored 90 days ago will be deleted tomorrow.
The deleted data is gone forever, unless Screen Snapshots were included with a Full Backup, and the Restore is set to include Snapshots. See Database Configuration.
To delete ALL snapshots, you would enter 0.
We recommend keeping two full backups of your data, but additional backups may compromise disk space on your system.
To automatically delete backup sets:
Check Delete Backup Sets: Check this option to control database backups. Select one of the options below. Clear this option if you don't want automatic deletion of backups.
Older than n day(s): Check this option to delete any backup set older than the specified time period. Type or use the arrows to set the number of days. For example, with the above setting, a backup folder created 30 days ago will be deleted from the disk tomorrow.
Older than the last n set(s): Check this option to delete the oldest of the specified number of backup sets. Type or use the arrows to set the number of backup sets. For example, if you specify 10 backup sets, when the 11th full backup occurs, the 1st (oldest) backup set is deleted.
To delete ALL backups, you would enter 0.
Backups by default are scheduled to occur nightly (differential) and weekly (full backup), plus you can back up the database whenever you want. A backup set is the folder including a full backup with all associated differential backups. See Backing up the Database.
Note: The backup(s) must be on the local Data Vault hard drive at a location known to the Dashboard in order to be automatically deleted.
Automatic archives, delete archives, and delete backups run as a regular Maintenance - Space Management job. If you choose to delete transactions directly from the live database, this deletion is executed as the Maintenance - Data Retention job. These jobs check the criteria in Space Management and execute the requested action. The jobs have default schedules that can be changed, and you can check their history in Jobs Management.
Jobs Management
Enable Space Management
