VictoriaMetrics is a fast, cost-effective, and scalable time-series database designed to handle large volumes of data. It is widely used for monitoring systems, collecting metrics, and analyzing time-series data. One of its key features is the ability to enforce data retention policies, which helps manage storage costs and maintain performance by automatically deleting old data.
When data retention is not enforced in VictoriaMetrics, users may notice that old data is not being deleted as expected. This can lead to increased storage usage and potential performance degradation. The symptom is typically observed when querying data that should have been purged according to the configured retention policy.
The primary cause of retention policies not being enforced is often a misconfiguration. This can occur if the retention settings are not correctly specified in the VictoriaMetrics configuration files or if there are conflicting settings.
Another potential issue is incorrect settings in the VictoriaMetrics startup parameters. If the retention period is not set correctly, the system will not know when to delete old data.
Start by reviewing the retention settings in your VictoriaMetrics configuration. Ensure that the -retentionPeriod flag is set correctly. For example, to set a retention period of 30 days, use:
./victoria-metrics -retentionPeriod=30d
Refer to the official documentation for more details on configuring retention policies.
Ensure there are no conflicting settings in your configuration files or startup scripts. Conflicts can arise if multiple retention settings are specified, leading to unpredictable behavior.
Check the VictoriaMetrics logs for any retention-related errors. Logs can provide insights into why retention policies are not being enforced. Look for messages related to retention policy application or errors during data purging.
tail -f /var/log/victoriametrics.log | grep retention
If changes were made to the configuration, ensure that VictoriaMetrics has reloaded the new settings. This can be done by restarting the service:
sudo systemctl restart victoriametrics
By following these steps, you should be able to resolve issues related to data retention not being enforced in VictoriaMetrics. Proper configuration and regular monitoring of logs are key to maintaining an efficient and effective time-series database. For further assistance, consider visiting the VictoriaMetrics GitHub repository for community support and updates.
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