# Database size using historian **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [April 21, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/database-size-using-historian/58713 "2022-04-21T19:17:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![craigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@craigb](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/craigb)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/database-size-using-historian/58713/1 "2022-04-21T19:17:27Z")
How do you guys/girls handle databases and purging when logging lots of values ? Most of my data comes in over MQTT based on value changed so I can be getting messages every few seconds. Some of that data is just displayed as a live value but say half is logged using the history feature in the edit tag. I then use it to populate charts. Other data is also logged to the database using transaction groups, this is mostly QC data that we want to keep forever. I’m consuming about 250mb a day so my hard drive space is being used up fast. I use a cloud based service for hosting ignition so hard drive space isnt cheap. We are looking to switch over to hosting it on our server so we can throw in multiple TB hard drives but the problem will come eventually. When setting up a transaction group you can set it to delete records after x. How’s is this handled with historic tags, is there a feature to start deleting records after so long ? Am i doing something wrong with the history provider consuming so much data ? ---
**Author:** ![josborn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@josborn](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/josborn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/database-size-using-historian/58713/2 "2022-04-21T19:20:49Z")
I cant speak to the last question, but you can configure pruning: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/0/9/099779ad1061a638906d00f64a9154edba61bc4b.png) ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/database-size-using-historian/58713/3 "2022-04-21T19:23:46Z")
More on pruning: > **[Tag History Providers | Ignition User Manual](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/ignition-modules/tag-historian/tag-history-providers#datasource-history-providers)** > > The Tag Historian module uses a concept of "History Providers" as a means to keep track of different storage configurations. Each provider is responsible for maintaining its own set of tables and records. > [@craigb](#): > > Am i doing something wrong with the history provider consuming so much data ? You might want to evaluate the deadband settings on your tags? If you don't _need_ every single point logged verbatim, you can tweak the deadband so that values aren't stored as frequently, leading to less data being stored: > **[Configuring Tag History | Ignition User Manual](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/ignition-modules/tag-historian/configuring-tag-history#deadband-discrete-style-and-analog-compression)** > > In 8.1.17, the Tag Editor was redesigned to improve usability. The new Tag Editor now requires fewer clicks and keeps relevant tag information visible while modifying bindings, alarms, and event scripts. ---
**Author:** ![robertm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea5d25/32.png) [@robertm](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/robertm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/database-size-using-historian/58713/4 "2025-08-19T16:09:44Z")
In addition to deadbands, do you have anything set on Max Time on your tags set to historize?