Database getting way too big!

Hi guys,

So, I'm wondering what's the preferred method for cleaning out the database.

Our shop has been running for 1.5 years and even though we regularly clean out the admin activity table, the user tracking table, and a few other small things, our database is over 36 megs.

It affects site performance and just seems unnecessary to keep information from 18 months ago in our active database. Are you guys doing some cleaning regimen once a year?

Also, I notice for some reason the database keeps track of every single letter of every single email we send out. What a bloated, ridiculous waste of space!

Thanks for the advice!

magicpants:

Also, I notice for some reason the database keeps track of every single letter of every single email we send out. What a bloated, ridiculous waste of space!
You're free to turn off the Email Archiving feature via Admin->Configuration->Email Options.
And you can empty the email-archive table using your favorite database management program, or by the email archive history manager addon available in the downloads area.

magicpants:

<snip> Also, I notice for some reason the database keeps track of every single letter of every single email we send out. What a bloated, ridiculous waste of space!

Hi,

In a lot of European country's it is a legal requirement to keep all of your business email.
I don't now exactly how long but for several years at least.
So i don't think it is a bloated, ridiculous waste of space.:no:

Ronald.

Hey thanks Dr. Byte for the helpful advice - I knew nothing about that.

And, I'll just say that I didn't mean to offend anyone with my "ridiculous" choice of words.

But, wouldn't it make more sense to write email content to a separate database? Any information writing to the database, like the email archive (and perhaps other info) that's not involved in the running of the website is just pulling performance down unnecessarily.

Also, before we zoom off into a off-topic discussion, the original point was to ask for tips for maintaining and keeping the zen cart database to a reasonable size.

What about moving old order information to another database every so often to keep it from getting too large?