How to Manually Reduce the Client File Indexes and Media Database

You can also use manual methods to control the size of the client file indexes and the media database:

• Purge:

  # nsrmm -P volumename
  

  This method removes all relevant entries for user files on that volume from the appropriate client file indexes, but retains the volume in the media database. Purging a volume does not destroy the contents of the tape. You can still recover the contents using the scanner program.

• Delete:

  # nsrmm -d volumename
  

  This method removes the volume's entry from the media database. It also removes all the relevant entries for the user files on that volume from the client file index. Deleting a volume does not destroy the contents of the tape. You can still recover the contents using the scanner program.

• Recycle:

  # nsrmm -m -R volumename
  

  This method relabels the volume, deletes the volume from the media database, and reinitializes the tape. After a tape is recycled, you cannot use the scanner program to recover the contents.

When you purge or delete a volume, the client file indexes do not shrink automatically. Instead, the freed index space is used to allocate records that are added in the future. To reduce the size of the client file indexes immediately after you purge or delete index entries, run the following command:

# nsrck -C clientname

To reclaim the index space for all clients, change to the /nsr/index directory and run the nsrck -C command.

Large indexes may take up to a few hours to compress with nsrck. For more details, refer to the following man pages: nsrck, mminfo, scanner, nsr, nsrmm.