Purging Files

Purging files is a good way to help prevent your Filestore and consequently your Database from containing unnecessary Data and Metadata (this is information about data). Benefits can include reduced back up times, smaller backups and better overall browsing/searching performance.
In Vault it is possible to perform a Purge from either the Vault Client or Vault Server. The Vault Client will only allow a user to Purge Selected File Versions. To do this find the relevant file, right click on an Older Version > Purge as required.

The Vault Server will allow you to Purge the Entire Vault Database, to do this go to the server and start the Autodesk Data Management Server Console (ADMS). Now expand the Vaults folder and right click on your Vault > Purge. You will then be given options as to how many versions you wish to keep etc.

Basic rules of purging:

• The latest version in a revision cannot be Purged (the revision is never removed). To remove a file and all of its versions from Vault, use Delete.
• The leading version of a revision cannot be Purged.
• File versions linked to items in Vault Professional cannot be Purged. To remove a version linked to an Item, the Item must first be deleted from the Item Master.
• File versions that are labelled cannot be Purged.
• Files versions marked as Controlled by the Lifecycle Definition may not be Purged.
• Only the first, last, or first and last versions in a Released state can be Purged.
• Older versions of files that are currently Checked Out can be Purged.
• Children with a dependant Parent version cannot be Purged until the Parent version has been Purged.
• The Administrator role can override Purge restrictions and force the removal of versions, except for versions that are linked to Items.
• For Autodesk Vault Workgroup, Collaboration and Professional editions. Files are Purged based on Revision and Lifecycle rules unless version selection rules are defined during the Purge set-up

Understanding these rules will hopefully give you the confidence to Purge unnecessary data from the Vault.