Delete network config files from the database (2024)

If you do not need to keep historical configuration files and want to improve database performance, you can automate the removal of unnecessary configuration files. If your database is not stored on a high performance database server, ensure you regularly purge unused config history.

A scheduled job automatically deletes older configs from the database. You can also delete individual config files manually.

Customize the Default Purge Configs job

NCM includes the Default Purge Configs job, which deletes older configs from the database. By default, this job is enabled and it runs once a week to prevent the database from becoming too large. 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 Purge Configs 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. Select the nodes to target with this job, and click Next. By default, the job targets all nodes.
8. Specify if you want to save the job log or results.
9. Select an email notification option, and click Next. If you click EmailResults, 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 a Purge Configs option, and then click Next:

    See Also

    How to Open .CFG File in Windows 10 and 11? - MiniTool Partition Wizard

    • Purge all configs that were downloaded before this date

      This option can be used if you run the job manually instead of scheduling it to run regularly.

    • Delete all configs EXCEPTfor the last xx current configs

      This option is recommended. It sets an absolute limit on the number of configs stored in the database.

    • Purge all configs except for the last timePeriod

      This option ensures that all configs from a certain time period are stored in the database.

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 Purge Configs job.
    2. Click Disable.

Manually delete a config from the database

1. Click My Dashboards >Network Configuration > Configuration Management.

2. Locate the node, and click the arrow to the left of the node name to display the list of configs from that node.

3. Identify the row that contains the config you want to delete.
4. In the Suggested Action column, click Delete on that row.