pc Deleting records takes forever

[Charity]

When we try to delete from our largest complex table, it deletes 200 records per minute.  With 4,000 records, that will take 8 long, very long minutes or more, forgive me if my math is inaccurate.   Problem is... that is a long time to wait.

 

Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

 

Thank you for any ideas.  I appreciate this forum very much.

 

Char()

[IdealData]

If you are hosting through FMServer then increase the cache allocation

 

When deleting the records make sure the layout you are on has no fields on display, especially calculations as they will want to re-evaluate as the records are deleted.

 

A faster machine (as the server)

 

Use an XML command to use the server to delete the records

[Steven H. Blackwell]

This might be a case of cascading deletes, a situation where related records are also set to delete, when a parent record is deleted.

 

However, this could be indicative of other issues.  I would close the files, stop FIleMaker Server completely, and then open the file in FIleMaker Pro. Then, run a Consistency Check on the file.  Do not recover the file. Read the resulting log to see if there are any issues.

 

Go ahead and set the Server cache on FileMaker Server 11 to the maximum amount allowed.  I believe the upper limit is 800 MB. Leave the cache setting on FileMaker Pro client at 64 MB. These are the optimal settings.

 

A server side script can also address this issue possibly.  Be sure that the script contains only server side compatible script steps.  XML has nothing to do with this process.  Server side scripts are called by the Schedules function in the Admin Console.

 

Steven

[IdealData]

 

A server side script can also address this issue possibly.  Be sure that the script contains only server side compatible script steps.  XML has nothing to do with this process.  Server side scripts are called by the Schedules function in the Admin Console.

 

 

Server side scripts CAN be initiated via XML - that's how it's done using Custom Web Publishing.

 

The suggestion to use the XML command is based on the idea that the deletion process would be triggered by an FM Client. (How else would the OP know how long it is taking to delete the records if they hadn't run it that way.)

 

Whilst the server side script could be invoked through FMS schedule that would be a bit pointless as you would be waiting for the schedule to run.

 

Cascading deletes are very likely here as the OP says "from our largest complex table"

[Wim Decorte]

Another option is to set up a regular backup schedule for the file and use the "clone" option.  Doesn't work of course if the file has other tables that you do not want to delete the records from.

[liltbrockie]

It is pretty ridiculous... I have about an 8 hour wait before I can test fully our new database due to waiting time for record deletions!

[Wim Decorte]

??

 

Which of the above options did you choose that results in 8h?   Even with millions of records a backup schedule with the clone option takes just minutes, not hours.

[NYPoke]

Deletions can be brutal.  Two tricks:

 

1: Freeze Window.  Screen Refreshes can eat up quite a bit of time.

2: Indexes.  Clean out your indexes every once-in-a-while.  They kill performance ( non-searching performance ).

 

Indexes are cool at times.  Every time a user searches on something, the index is usually retained.  Over time, that builds up.  Common fields need it.  Others do not.  Knocked off 20 percent of our file size, a few months ago.

 

Database 101: Each time an Insert, Delete or Update happens, the related index gets updated.

 

In FileMaker, we rarely insert/update more than a record at a time.  We delete large batches though.  I take a hit then.

 

Clean out those Indexes