Compacting the Deduplication Database (DDB)

You can use the SIDB2 tool to compact data files in the Deduplication Database (DDB) to prevent disk space exhaustion. If your DDB is partitioned, run the compaction on each partition either sequentially or in parallel.

Note

Periodic manual compaction is not required. The system reclaims space automatically during data aging. Only run manual compaction if instructed by the support team.

Supported Configurations

v10 DDBs on v11 MediaAgent
v11 DDBs on v11 MediaAgent

Compaction Types

Primary and Core File Compaction

This operation compresses and rebuilds indexes for the following DDB files:

properties.dat
primary.dat
zeroref.dat
archive.dat

You can compact all files or specify an individual file using the -compactfile option.

Important

Ensure available free disk space is at least twice the size of the largest data file. Insufficient space may result in compaction failure and database corruption.

Secondary File Compaction

This process is required to convert legacy DDBs (pre-SP14) for Garbage Collection support. DDBs created post-SP14 are automatically compatible.

Use the -compactfile secondary option to reclaim space related to aged backup jobs by consolidating secondary index files.

Note

Ensure free disk space is equal to the size of the largest secondary file.

Before You Begin

Caution

During compaction, the DDB becomes unavailable. Jobs depending on it will enter a pending state.

Ensure the following jobs are not running:
- Backup jobs
- DDB backup jobs
- DDB move/reconstruction
- Auxiliary copy jobs
In environments with multiple MediaAgents, ensure that no jobs are running on the DDB before starting the compaction process. This prevents potential conflicts, even if other MediaAgents remain operational.
Disable QuickEdit Mode in Windows Command Prompt properties.
Enable Maintenance Mode on the MediaAgent before performing DDB compaction to avoid conflicts with active jobs. For instructions, see Setting a MediaAgent Offline for Maintenance.
Verify that no SIDB2 process is currently running:
- Windows: Check via Task Manager > Processes.
- Linux: Run commvault list.
Do not terminate an active SIDB2 process manually. Wait for it to stop before you proceed with compaction.

Command Usage

Navigate to the installation directory: <software_installation_directory>/Base

Syntax

Windows

Full compaction

sidb2 -compact -in instance_number -cn client_name -i DDB_ID -split split_number

Specific file compaction

sidb2 -compactfile Primary|Zeroref|Property|Archive -in instance_number -cn client_name -i $DDB_ID -split split_number

Secondary file compaction

sidb2 -compactfile secondary -i DDB_ID -split split_number

Linux

Full compaction

./sidb2 -compact -in instance_number -cn client_name -i DDB_ID -split split_number

Specific file compaction

./sidb2 -compactfile Primary|Zeroref|Property|Archive -in instance_number -cn client_name -i DDB_ID -split split_number

Secondary file compaction

./sidb2 -compactfile secondary -i DDB_ID -split split_number

Parameter Descriptions

Option	Description
-compact	Compacts all core files in the DDB.
-compactfile	Compacts a specific data file (e.g., property, primary, and so on).
- compactfile secondary	Compacts all secondary files into single archives.
-in	Specifies the instance of the software.
-cn	Client name of the MediaAgent hosting the DDB.
-i	DDB ID (available from Deduplication Engines in the CommCell Browser).
-split	DDB partition number (e.g., Split 01 in path E:\<DDB Folder>...).

Examples

Full Compaction

sidb2 -compact -in Instance001 -cn DDBMediaAgent01 -i 86 -split 01

Compact the Primary File

sidb2 -compactfile primary -i 1288 -split 00

Compact Secondary Files

sidb2 -compactfile secondary -i 2370 -split 00

Post-Compaction Recommendations

Run a new DDB backup after compaction. Previous DDB backups are invalidated.
If firewalls or network restrictions are configured, manually start the Network Daemon service before running compaction.

Note

Compacting a 500 GB DDB may take approximately 4 hours.

Sample Output

-compact Output

sidb2 -compact -in Instance001 -cn DDBMediaAgent01 -i 86 -split 01

Getting information for engine [86]...

Compacting property file. Recs [91]

Compressing data file... 98%

Rebuilding index... 98%

Compacting primary file. Recs [2854865]

Compressing data file... 100%

Rebuilding index... 100%

Compacting zeroref file. Recs [45534]

Compressing data file... 99%

Compacting archive file. Recs [89]

Compressing data file... 95%

Compacting completed successfully.

-compactfile Output

sidb2 -compactfile primary -i 1288 -split 00

Getting information for engine [1288]...

Compacting primary file. Recs [1240]

Compressing data file... 100%

Compacting completed successfully.

-compactfile secondary Output

sidb2 -compactfile secondary -i 2370

Getting information for engine [2370]...

Compacting secondary [Secondary_30440.idx]

...

Compacting secondary [Secondary_30452.idx]

Compacting completed successfully.