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In order to manage data effectively, it’s essential to understand how to manage the physical space of a SQL Server Database on a disk. At times, you may need to keep the size of the database in check by reducing it using the process of SQL Server Database Shrink. Though this should be employed sparingly, and should not be a consistent part of your database maintenance plans, understanding the how-to of the process is essential.
Understanding the Concept of Shrink
The term ‘shrink’, in this context, refers to the act of reducing the size of SQL Server database files. Shrink can be performed on the entirety of a database or on individual files. This operation reclaims unused space in the database.
When Should Database Shrink Be Used?
Note that the shrink operation is not something you should be running often. SQL Server does an excellent job of managing space and you should let it do its work. However, there are instances where a shrink operation can be justifiable. One such instance might be after archiving large amounts of data from the database.
An Example of Shrink
Here’s an example of shrinking a database by name ‘TestDB’ using T-SQL:
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USE TestDB; GO DBCC SHRINKDATABASE (TestDB); |
This command will attempt to shrink each file in the database. If you need to shrink a specific file, maybe a log file, use the SHRNKFILE option. For example, to shrink the log file in our ‘TestDB’ database, you might use:
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USE TestDB; GO DBCC SHRINKFILE (TestDB_Log); |
Conclusion
While the shrink operation can be useful in managing database sizes, caution should be taken to not use this operation habitually. Moreover, always backup your database before a shrink operation. It’s no replacement for disk space management and efficient database design. However, in the event that you do need to shrink your database, the process isn’t as daunting as it may initially seem.