Use this activity to manage and reduce the amount of historical snapshot data stored for projects. Over time, snapshots created for project connections and project forecasts accumulate as projects are created, updated, refreshed, or closed. Large volumes of historical snapshot records can contribute to increased database size and reduced efficiency. This activity supports keeping data volumes under control by removing outdated or unnecessary snapshot information.
When a project connection is created, project information, including connection details, is copied to a snapshot history table. The data available in the snapshot history table can be viewed on the Snapshot History Data page. The snapshot history data table accumulates information when project connections are created, deleted, or refreshed. As a result, the size of this table can increase substantially over time. The Cleanup Snapshot History Data feature is used to remove older or unnecessary records from the snapshot history data table to reduce its size.
When snapshot history data needs to be deleted for projects before a certain date, you must enter a
History Cut Off Date. This indicates that all records for the selected projects, regardless of
status, before this date will be deleted from the snapshot history data table, leaving the last cost reporting
entry for each object before this date. Note that it is not possible to create a new snapshot with a Cut
Off Date earlier than the History Cut Off Date.
When snapshot history data is cleaned up for projects in the Closed, Completed,
or Cancelled status, no History Cut Off Date should be entered. In this case, all
records in the snapshot history table will be deleted without consideration of the date for projects with the
selected status.
When creating a project forecast, a snapshot with detailed information is often created. A snapshot represents a static view of the project’s cost and revenue status at a specific point in time (Cut Off Date). It includes all project activities and any related objects that report cost and revenue to the project, along with their reported cost, revenue, and progress.
Snapshots created with detailed data can grow significantly in size, contributing to database expansion over time. To manage database usage effectively, authorized users can use the Delete Forecast Snapshot Details feature, available on the Project Forecast Snapshots page and the Snapshot History Data – Cleanup Information page, to permanently remove unnecessary or outdated snapshot records.
The Delete Forecast Snapshot Details feature provides several ways to manage and reduce stored snapshot data:
Deletion actions performed through this function are permanent and cannot be reversed. However, it is still possible to create a new snapshot for the project forecast for an earlier date, provided the underlying snapshot data itself has not been deleted.
After each successful deletion, the system automatically creates a log record on this page. This log provides traceability and includes information such as: