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P4 Server Administration Documentation | 2025.2

# Unload infrequently-used metadata

Over time, P4 Server accumulates metadata associated with old projects that are no longer in active development. On large sites, reducing the working set of server metadata can significantly improve performance. The unload depot A special depot for infrequently used metadata or to facilitate reloading workspaces that have been moved to a different server. is a solution for reducing the amount of metadata that is stored in the server's `db.have` and `db.labels` tables, as well as the tables related to task streams: `db.stream`, `db.revtx`, and `db.integtx`.

## Create the unload depot

To create an unload depot named `//unload`, enter `p4 depot unload`, and fill in the resulting form as follows:

    Depot:       unload
    Type:        unload
    Map:         unloaded/...

In this example, unloaded metadata is stored in flat files in the `/unloaded` directory beneath your server root (that is, as specified by the `Map` field).

After you have created the unload depot, you can use `p4 unload` and `p4 reload` to manage your installation’s handling of workspace and label-related metadata.

The output of p4 -ztag info includes unloadSupport enabled if the administrator has created a depot of type unload. If not, the output includes unloadSupport disabled.

## Unload old client workspaces, labels, and task streams

The `p4 unload` command transfers infrequently-used metadata from the P4 Server `db.*` files to a set of flat files in the unload depot.

Individual users can use the `-c`, `-l`, and `-s` flags to unload client workspaces, static labels, or task streams that they own. For example, maintainers of build scripts that create one workspace and/or label per build, particularly in continuous build environments, should be encouraged to unload the labels after each build:

    $ p4 unload -c oldworkspace
    $ p4 unload -l oldlabel

Similarly, developers should be encouraged to unload (`p4 unload -s `oldtaskstream``) or delete (`p4 stream -d `oldtaskstream``) task streams after use.

To manage old or obsolete metadata in bulk, administrators can use the `-a`, `-al`, or `-ac` flags in conjunction with the `-d date` and/or `-u user` flags to unload all static labels and workspaces older than a specific `date`, owned by a specific `user`, or both.

By default, only unlocked labels or workspaces are unloaded; use the `-L` flag to unload locked labels or workspaces.

To unload or reload a workspace or label, a user must be able to scan all the files in the workspace’s have list and/or files tagged by the label. Set `MaxScanrows` and `MaxResults` high enough (see Limits for users in multiple groups) that users do not need to ask for assistance with `p4 unload` or `p4 reload` operations.

## Accessing unloaded data

By default, P4 Server commands such as `p4 clients`, `p4 labels`, `p4 files`, `p4 sizes`, and `p4 fstat` ignore unloaded metadata. Users who need to examine unloaded workspaces and labels (or other unloaded metadata) can use the `-U` flag when using these commands.

## Reloading workspaces and labels

If it becomes necessary to restore unloaded metadata back into the `db.have` or `db.labels` table, use the `p4 reload` command. (The task stream tables can also be reloaded.)

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