Database Pruning Please Help

[Mike]

Dear Tom and Team,


I got this mail from client below please help me out on this below:-

Hi Team,

Need to execute data pruning urgently in PRD. Please let me know on the plan against it.
.
Dear Tom please help me out how to do database pruning . Please help me out this its urgent. t



Progress version = 9.1d
unix version = AIX



With Regards
Mike.

 

[RealHeavyDude]

What is data pruning?

Never have heard that term in assocation with a database before. But then again, English is not my first language.

Heavy Regards, RealHeavyDude.

 

[Cringer]

I have a hazy recollection that pruning is the same as archiving. Ie removing old unnecessary data from the database to conserve space. But then I could be wrong.
If I am indeed correct then this is something that has to be decided at a business level. We can't help you without knowledge of the database structure, or the business priorities. How are we to say what is needed and what isn't? How are we to say what is to be removed and what isn't. This is not a forum question. It is one you would need to work out yourself and/or get in a consultant to help.
DBA work is not something you should be playing around with and asking vague questions on forums about. You should study and get assistance. You should ask well researched and directed questions that are not open to interpretation.
I have said all of this to you in private before. To be honest, I'm surprised you continue to receive assistance on here because it's the same story every time. I could find a list as long as my arm of threads where you ask a vague question and then fail to answer follow-up questions.

So that it's clearly stated:

1) You need to upgrade. 9.1d is ancient and obsolete and unsupported. It has been for a long time.
2) What is pruning?
3) Why is it urgent?

 

[Rob Fitzpatrick]

To add to what Cringer has said, you and your client have articulated the "need" to delete data (I assume this is what you mean by "pruning") without saying why you need to do this. Are you running out of disk space? Not enough space for backups? Reports taking too long to run? Something else?

If the issue is low disk space, set proper expectations with the client. Some clients equate deleting data with freeing up disk space. Deleting data from tables, by itself, does nothing to free up disk space. Also, deleting data is not the only solution for a problem of low disk space. The other obvious solution is adding disk capacity.

 

[cj_brandt]

At the 2017 PUG challenge, it will be revealed that Mike is Mr Bascom's pen name.

 

[TomBascom]

You will have to attend in order to find out

 

[ForEachInvoiceDelete]

Do as my name suggests.

 

[Cringer]

Folks, Mike has been placed on the moderation list (by Chris) which means his posts will need to be vetted before they appear for general consumption.
I sincerely hope 'Mike' isn't Furgal trolling us all...