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WSS 3.0:Windows2003

I have a content database that keeps growing for the name of simply, "WSS_Content"

This database is aside from all the other content databases that are linked to an web application, but located in the same directory. I count 5 CONTENT databases on this directory, but only 4 web applications (excluding the centraladmin). Trouble is it keeps growing in size and I need to know what it is and why its growing. Is this a default database of some kind? Where and why would it grow?

I recently found, through Central Administration, that one of my sites has a content database name of

"WSS_Content_(random numbers and letters)"

whereas, the other content databases would have a name like

"WSS_Content_(WebApplicationName)"

What gives?

Mike
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  • I found the problem. The "WSS" in "WSS_Content" through me off, it was located on another web application on another server. Will deleting sites/document libraries and files downsize this database, or will that do minimal damage? – Mike Apr 07 '10 at 22:03

4 Answers4

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An easy way to see all your databases (and what web application they belong to) is to go to Central Admin -> Operations -> Perform a Backup.

This will give you a tree view of your farm with all of the databases listed.

MattB
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  • There is nothing linked to WSS_Content though..hmmm... – Mike Apr 07 '10 at 21:36
  • @Mike: then you have something wacky going on. (That is the technical term...) I would probably run a SQL Profiler trace to see where the connections to WSS_Content are coming from. – MattB Apr 07 '10 at 21:42
  • WSS_Content was referencing a MOSS Web App (different server), that's where I got confused... – Mike Apr 08 '10 at 01:10
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WSS_Content is (here) a database from SharePoint 2010 installation.

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/6117.sharepoint-2010-database-anatomy/revision/1.aspx

SharePoint 2010: Database Anatomy

SharePoint_Config

SharePoint_AdminContent

WSS_Content

WSS_UsageApplication

BDC_Service_DB_

Application_Registry_Server_DB_

SubscriptionSettings_

Secure_Store_Services_DB_

StateService

WebAnalyticsServiceApplication_StagingDB_

WebAnalyticsServiceApplication_ReportingDB_

Search_Service_Application_DB_

Search_Service_Application_CrawlStoreDB_

Search_Service_Application_PropertyStoreDB_

User Profile Service Application_ProfileDB_

User Profile Service Application_SyncDB_

User Profile Service Application_SocialDB_

and according to: https://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/sharepoint/en-US/328c534e-7180-4e4f-b715-12bf812bbfa9/sharepoint-databases

there are 19 DBs created in the Sql server when you install sp 2010 here is the list : WSS_Search_myservername WSS_Logging_d88b9fa8-7daa-4602-a520-fcc8fb71c199 WordAutomationServices_d54b6fead25248d99bffb711d9368656 WebAnalyticsServiceApplication_StagingDB_9753f38e-0133-44c3-805d-df904c3ac777 WebAnalyticsServiceApplication_ReportingDB_620c7575-b1d2-4e44-95e0-35a3af9e8651 User Profile Service Application_SyncDB_dd4998b058254a32b2a309d38c1f9992 User Profile Service Application_SocialDB_f6160726cec5422c835c7c7203988b49 User Profile Service Application_ProfileDB_ae2f096f9ec240239e13c81294df8bba StateService_60666da893034b0a8e78697f902935dd SharePoint_Config_0375f38d-3eac-4992-8d4d-b34af5330420 SharePoint_AdminContent_50a4d91d-1581-4a71-bb7f-e9e26a9ac551 Secure_Store_Service_DB_e743768cc81746b48594bdab0db17799 Search_Service_Application_PropertyStoreDB_9e028a00d4aa4dacb29434ccb08e03ae Search_Service_Application_DB_4953256b0b324c04afaaf7d7a07225aa Search_Service_Application_CrawlStoreDB_008773203b274c229bbde80c0624e0ac PerformancePoint Service Application_55c99c47658c4a3f9f8acb61169b7c1f Managed Metadata Service_e7781c12154f417c9c46dbfdfa1f86f0 Bdc_Service_DB_5647d84d856747f2bad425fa06f1c442 Application_Registry_Service_DB_7ac859a7b06041ea97aa4bcce94bc2d7

juFo
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I believe that SharePoint just puts a string of random numbers and letters after the WSS_Content db if you don't provide a name upon creation. Our SharePoint site was originally set up by a contractor and the default content db has the same random string you are talking about. I was not involved in the setup so I'm not sure what was done but my new web applications have proper names.

This technet blog covers the topic of sorting them out.

Edit: After reading through some of the subsequent articles on the link I provided it turns out that the admin content database doesn't give you an option to name it so it would automatically just be given a GUID. This could very well be the database you are seeing.

Shane
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  • That a good reference, but I just want to know what WSS_Content is, and how can I downsize it without SQL, example being, expiration policy. – Mike Apr 07 '10 at 21:39
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    I'm assuming that your WSS_CONTENT database is the one that's created upon installation of SharePoint. That's the most likely one to not have been named. I've found the databases for SharePoint do tend to grow a lot and I haven't found much I can do to limit it. My one suggestion would be to ensure that you're taking log backups. If you're not the log files will grow to be very large. Regular log backups won't make your database any smaller but it will clear out the unused space in your log so it doesn't grow any more than it needs to. – Shane Apr 08 '10 at 14:13
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Use the following code to see which table is the problem, and take action on the table. In my case, it was eventcache and eventlog that were causing the problems and I just had to run the timer job change log manually from sharepoint central administration.

Create Table FileSize_Temp(Name sysname, rows int, reserved varchar(100), data varchar(100), index_size varchar(100), unused varchar(100))exec sp_msforeachtable 'Insert Into FileSize_Temp Exec sp_spaceused ''?'''Select * From FileSize_Temp

drop table FileSize_Temp
Adrian Heine
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tempo
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