Remove older NCM data from the database and config archive

NCM includes the Default Database and Archive Maintenance job, which deletes older configs from the config archive on your file system. It also deletes other types of older data from the NCM database. If older, unused data is not removed periodically, the config archive and the database can require large amounts of storage space.

By default, the Default Database and Archive Maintenance job is enabled and it runs once a week. If you need to make changes to this job, SolarWinds recommends that you create a copy of the default job and change the copy. Changes to the default job cannot be reverted.

1. Click My Dashboards > Network Configuration > Jobs.
2. Select the Default Database and Archive Maintenance job.
3. Click Duplicate Job.
4. Specify a unique name. For example, include the name of your organization in the job name.

5. Specify when the job runs:

   • To run the job once or on a simple schedule, select Basic. Click the tab that identifies how frequently the job runs, and then specify the start time and (if needed) the day(s).

   • To create a more complex schedule, select Advanced and then use the five fields to create a CRON expression.

6. In the Comments box, include the reason for your changes, and then click Next.
7. This job does not apply to nodes. Click Next.
8. Specify if you want to save the job log or results.
9. Select an email notification option, and click Next. If you click Email Results, the default email notification and SMTP server settings are populated. These settings can be overridden in each job. By default, no email notification is sent.
10. Select the data you want to purge and the age threshold for each type of data, and then click Next:

    • Purge configs from the config archive folder

      Removes older config files from the config archive folder on the NCM server.

    • Purge config cache data

      Removes older config cache data from the database. This data is used to display information in certain NCM widgets that show config changes and conflicts. It is also used to generate comparison reports, such as the Baseline vs. Config Conflicts report.

      Purging older, unneeded data from the config cache saves space in the database and can improve the load time of widgets and reports that depend on calculations from cached config data.

      However, consider the type of reporting data your organization requires before you set the age threshold. For example if the age threshold is 2 Weeks, any config that conflicts with the baseline but that was last updated over two weeks ago would not be shown on the Baseline vs. Config Conflicts report.

    • Purge completed Approval Requests

      Removes data about older completed approval requests from the database.

    • Purge job log

      Removes the data you see when you click the History icon in the Jobs List to open the Job Report. You can truncate the data in the job log based on age or on the size of the job log.

    • Purge config transfer requests

      Removes data about older config transfer requests from the database

    • Purge completed 'Inventory on demand' jobs

      Removes data about one-time inventory updates that were created by clicking Update Inventory on the Configuration Management page.

11. Review the settings for the job, and click Finish.

    The job is enabled by default.

12. To avoid running both your custom job and the default job, disable the default job:
    1. In the Jobs List, select the Default Database and Archive Maintenance job.
    2. Click Disable.