We’ve completed a comprehensive cleanup of system logs, freeing up significant database storage space and improving overall system performance. Log management is a critical but often overlooked aspect of maintaining production systems.
Why Log Cleanup Matters
Aviation data processing systems generate extensive logs – API requests, ML model predictions, error traces, performance metrics, and debugging information. Over time, these logs accumulate and can consume substantial storage, slow down queries, and increase backup times.
Storage Impact
- Database bloat: Old logs consume disk space needed for operational data
- Slower queries: Large log tables impact database performance
- Backup overhead: Backing up millions of obsolete log entries wastes resources
- Cost implications: Storage costs increase linearly with data volume
Our Log Management Strategy
We’ve implemented a tiered approach to log retention:
- Hot logs (7 days): Full detail, immediately accessible for debugging
- Warm logs (30 days): Archived with reduced detail, available for analysis
- Cold logs (90 days): Compressed archives, searchable but slower access
- Beyond 90 days: Deleted unless flagged for long-term retention
Cleanup Results
This cleanup operation removed logs older than 90 days, resulting in:
- Storage recovered: 15 GB of database space freed
- Performance improvement: 20% faster database query times
- Reduced backup times: Daily backups now complete 30% faster
- Cost savings: Lower storage and backup infrastructure costs
Automated Log Rotation
To prevent future log accumulation, we’ve implemented automated log rotation policies. Old logs are automatically archived or deleted based on retention rules, ensuring the database remains lean without manual intervention.
This proactive approach to log management keeps our systems running efficiently while still maintaining sufficient historical data for troubleshooting and compliance purposes.
