IBM Notes users face a common issue, i.e., the database file limit exceeds the quota and affects the workflow of users. Here, you will learn to manage Lotus Notes Database when the size limit increases.
Though Lotus Notes has numerous options to configure database storage limit still, users experience file size limit exceeding quota errors. Initially, it warns users to reach the quota limit by showing the following message:
‘Warning, database has exceeded its size warning threshold.’
This message provides an opportunity to manage the size of the database and reduce the size so that next time, you will get enough space in Lotus Notes. If users ignore this warning, you will get this error message:
‘Cannot allocate database object – the database would exceed its disk quota.’
This message says that Lotus Notes will not record any more transactions to create new database elements until you reduce the database size. However, this will not restrict the routing of emails, which means users can still send/receive emails and respond to them but fail to save them. This error results from poor database management of Lotus Notes.
What are the reasons for exceeding the Lotus Notes Database Size Limit?
Here are common reasons that lead to file size exceeding:
Duplicate Emails: Duplicate emails in the database take up a lot of space, and generally, users don’t know that duplicates exist in their mailbox.
Messages in Trash: The messages deleted from the Inbox remain in the trash folder, occupy unnecessary space, and lead to exceeding the file size limit quota.
Excess of graphic elements: Any graphical information takes more space than the normal text file.
Saved drafts: Many users forget to delete the drafted message, which can exceed the quota of storage space.
Also read: IBM Lotus Notes Certificate has Expired
Techniques to manage Lotus Notes database size
To manage the size of the Lotus Notes database, you can follow these approaches:
- Check duplicate emails and delete the duplicate ones
- The emails that you delete remain in the trash folder till the expiry of their retention. So, to permanently delete them, you need to empty the trash folder.
- If multiple emails are large, then you should remove the backup of such emails.
- Delete the drafts created by you.
Solutions to manage Lotus Notes database size limit after exceeding its quota
Here are some solutions to help you in managing the Lotus Notes file size limit:
1. Compacting the database
- Launch Lotus Notes email client
- Go to File – database
- Hit the Properties button.
- This will open a dialog box; click on the second tab
- Hit the ‘%’ button to check the current compression ratio
- Hit the Compact option after confirming the percentage is less than 90%
2. Delete Unwanted Emails
The simplest way to make space for new data and manage the file limit of the database is to delete unnecessary emails from the Inbox and the sent items folder. This is an easy process where you need to simply select and delete the process.
3. Manage Email Attachments
You can manage attachments with emails by downloading them to a safe location. To make space for new emails, permanently delete associated emails if they are not important.
4. Modify Auto Save Email Settings
By default, all the sent emails are saved in the database, but they take up space, which causes exceeding the limit of the database. Hence, to overcome this, you can alter auto-save settings for sent emails. This can be done as follows;
- Go to Lotus Notes. Hit on Files – Preferences
- Then hit on User Preferences and then click Mail
- In the Sending section, find the Save Mails and then click on Always prompt from the drop-down menu list.
5. Archive Management
To manage the Notes database file size, you can archive emails to save to another location to free up space for other emails.
6. Delete old attributes of IBM Notes
Attributes like contacts, to-do lists, calendars, etc., saved by Lotus Notes take up space. You can delete them to free up space.
7. Third-party program
Apart from these manual workarounds, users can simply go for Softaken NSF to PST Converter. This automated tool permits storing emails on your computer, and you can access them whenever required. This smart solution exports the Lotus Notes NSF file to another file, i.e., PST, to open the data with MS Outlook.
Ending Lines
Lotus Notes does not allow storing data when it exceeds its quota, which is generally set to 75-90%. This issue can trouble users, and hence, users need to clean this space. This guide has helped you with many ways to clear up space. Also, you can use a third-party tool, which is an effortless solution.