Deleting a User and Clearing the User Space

Novell Cool Solutions: Tip
By Tim Heywood

Digg This - Slashdot This Posted: 23 Oct 2007

Problem

A Forum reader recently asked:

"How can I be sure the space on my server is accurate? I am concerned there might be build up on the server will lots of other old deleted email not being removed."

And here's the response from Tim Heywood ...

Solution

When you delete a user, GW has this thought in the back of its head, "What if this user is needed after all?" As a result, the data is retained for 21 days before it is removed from disk. Even running the /forceclean option will not clear out the user of the data.

If you "really" want to kill off space used by a user,

1. Delete the contents of the mailbox first.

2. Empty the Trash.

3. Run the Reduce program.

4. Once the mail is all gone, then delete the user.

Reader Comments

• Why would it hold it for 21 days? After all, you cannot recover it unless you go to a backup for recovery. Seems in the old days you could recover an account within so many days, but with the later releases since probably 6.x that is not so. Does Novell concur that the space is indeed still being held for 21 days?

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