How to remove unused data from a cube

Data that no longer needs to be stored in MODLR can be removed either by wiping the cells, or by permanently removing the populated element from the dimension.

Removing the element from the dimension

In the scenario dimension below, any data stored against the Budget scenario can be removed from the model by completing the following steps:

1. Remove the element from the hierarchy and click "Save".

2. Click Audit Dimension.

INFO

If the element is contained in any hierarchies, it will not appear when auditing the dimension. Audit Dimension shows any elements that do not exist in hierarchies within the dimension - these are called orphaned elements. The same check is available from a Process via dimension.audit.

3. Click Remove Orphans.
4. Restart the server. This is required to clear the cell paths/locations from memory.

WARNING

This is a two-stage, and until step 4, reversible operation. Clicking Remove Orphans removes the element from the dimension's element list immediately, but the data that was stored against it is not deleted at that point - it stays in cube storage until the server is restarted. That means if an element was removed by mistake, re-adding it to a hierarchy before restarting the server brings its data straight back, untouched. Only once the server actually restarts is that data permanently dropped and unrecoverable. Don't restart the server as step 4 until you're confident the removal was correct.

Wiping the cells

If a cell is not fed by a formula, it can be wiped by:

• Setting the value in a number cell to 0 or empty string
• Setting the value in a string cell to empty string
• Using the cube.wipe process function
• Using the dataspreading /clear