Purge workflow data

The Purge workflow data provides the option to delete historic data from the Nintex Workflow database. This option is also available as a NWAdmin operation.

Reasons that data may need to be removed:

• Deleting old data to decrease the size of the Nintex Workflow content database(s).
• Deleting data added during testing of a workflow.
• Deleting data from lists that have been deleted.

Workflow data can be purged globally for the web farm, a specific site collection or individual sites.

Caution: When purging workflow data, purge the workflow history list before purging historic data. If you purge historic data first, then the workflow history list items cannot be purged. For more information, please refer toManaging workflow history lists.

To access the Purge workflow data page

1. On the SharePoint Central Administration home page, click Nintex Administration.

2. On the Nintex Administration page, under Inventory and reporting, click Purge workflow data.

To purge workflow data

1. Navigate to the Purge workflow data settings.

2. Under Select workflow instances to purge, specify filters to select the workflow instances for which data will be purged.

• Where the list, library, or sites have been deleted: removes historic data for any workflows that are associated to a list that has been deleted.
• Use custom filter: set the filter parameters.
• Initiator is: removes historic data for workflows that were started by a specific user.
• Instance ID is: removes historic data for a specified workflow instance where the instance ID matches the GUID.
• Last activity before local is: removes historic data for workflow where the last action was before a specific time, specified in server local time.
• List ID is: removes historic data for workflows associated with a specific internal GUID of a list. 
• List name is: removes historic data for workflows associated with a specific list name. Please note that this option is only available when purging workflow data on a site level.
• State is: removes historic data for workflows with a specific state (Completed, Cancelled, Error).
• Workflow name is: removes historic data for workflows with a specific name.
• Database name is: removes historic data for workflows from a specific database.
• Site Collections URL: removes historic data for workflows from a specific site collection.
• Site URL: removes historic data for workflows from a specific site.

3. Click on Query. This will provide a preview of the database entries matching all entered criteria. Queries have been restricted to display a maximum of 5000 records.

4. Click on Purge. This will delete historic data as specified from the content database(s).

Caution: Once data has been purged, it cannot be recovered without restoring a backed up version of the Nintex Workflow content database. Only one purge can be run at a time.

To cancel workflow data purge in process

• Click on the Cancel Purge link while the purge is in process to cancel the job.

Caution: All records that have been purged previously cannot be reverted back.

Nintex Workflow database tables

Purging historic data will remove data from any of the following tables:

• WorkflowProgress

• WorkflowInstance

• WorkflowInstanceTasks

• WorkflowLog

• HumanWorkflowApproverMetadata

• HumanWorkflowApprovers

• HumanWorkflowMapping

• HumanWorkflow

• DataStore

• DataStoreKeys