Deleting shared records

Analyst's Notebook enables authorized users to create and delete records in the Information Store. However, even authorized users can delete only the records that they or their colleagues create, and the operation is not immediately permanent. To delete records completely, you must interact with the Information Store database.

When a user deletes a record in the Information Store through Analyst's Notebook, the effect for all users is instant. The record is no longer returned in the results of search or expand operations, and copies of the record on other Analyst's Notebook charts become orphaned.

However, by default, the data for the record remains in the database until you decide to delete it permanently. The Information Store has a mechanism for removing these "soft-deleted" records. With IBM Db2 and Microsoft SQL Server, you can start the mechanism on an automatic or a manual basis. With PostgreSQL, you can use the manual mechanism or automate it with a third-party tool.

The mechanism for purging (that is, fully deleting soft-deleted) records uses up to three stored procedures from the IS_Public schema of the Information Store database.

  • Purge_Soft_Deleted_Records

    Parameters: none

    Permanently deletes all soft-deleted records of all types from the Information Store.

  • Set_Purge_Soft_Delete_Schedule (Not available with PostgreSQL)

    Parameters: Schedule

    Sets and activates the schedule on which soft-deleted records are automatically deleted from the Information Store.

    If you are using Db2, the parameter must be a string in UNIX® cron format. For more information, see the UNIX cron format.

    If you are using SQL Server, you must use the arguments and values accepted by the sp_add_jobschedule.

  • Remove_Purge_Soft_Delete_Schedule (Not available with PostgreSQL)

    Parameters: none

    Clears and deactivates the automatic deletion schedule.

On Db2 and SQL Server, the purging mechanism uses the same infrastructure as the mechanism for deleting records by rule. Each manual or automated request to purge soft-deleted records from the Information Store causes a set of deletion jobs to be created. There is one job for each entity type and link type in the i2® Analyze schema, and the Db2® task scheduler or SQL Server Agent runs them at the earliest opportunity.

On PostgreSQL, you need a third-party tool such as pg_cron to automate the process of purging soft-deleted records by executing SELECT IS_Public.Purge_Soft_Deleted_Records() on a scheduled basis. To stop the process in such circumstances, just delete the schedule.

i2 Analyze keeps logs of purge operations alongside its logs of deletion-by-rule operations, in the Deletion_By_Rule_Log view. In that view, the rule name for all jobs that are associated with purging soft-deleted records is PURGE_SOFT_DELETE.