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Version: 8.9 (unreleased)

Resource deletion

Use resource deletion to remove resources from a cluster when they are no longer needed or should no longer be used.

Deleting resources:

  1. Frees storage space, as Zeebe no longer needs to keep the definition in its state.
  2. Prevents new instances from being created, which can help avoid usage of faulty process definitions.

The following resource types can be deleted:

  1. Process definitions
  2. Decision Requirements Graphs (DRG)

Delete a resource using Operate or by sending the delete resource command to the Zeebe API.

Deleting a process definition​

Delete a process definition by sending a delete resource command and providing the process definition key as the resource key.

You can delete any version of a process definition. After deletion, the definition no longer exists in Zeebe's state and new process instances cannot be created for it. Attempts to create a new instance result in a NOT_FOUND exception.

Zeebe never reuses a process version. Even after deletion, Zeebe continues tracking version numbers. Deploying a new process with the same ID increments the version as usual.

Deleting the latest version​

When deleting the latest version of a process definition, the previous version becomes the new latest.

For example, if three versions exist and Version 3 is the latest, deleting it results in the following:

  • No new instances can be created for Version 3.
  • Creating a new process instance using latest creates an instance of Version 2.
  • If Version 2 contains timer start events, they are reactivated and triggered according to their schedule.
  • If Version 2 contains message or signal start events, they are reactivated. Publishing a message or broadcasting a signal creates a new process instance of Version 2.

Deleting Version 2 before Version 3 produces the same behavior, except Version 1 becomes the new latest.

Call activities​

A call activity references a process by ID. If all process definitions for that process ID are deleted, Zeebe creates an incident on the call activity indicating that the referenced process cannot be found.

Limitations​

You cannot delete a process definition that has one or more running process instances. Terminate or complete all running instances before deleting the definition.

Historic data​

Optionally enable historic data deletion to permanently remove all data related to the process definition from secondary storage.

warning

Deletion is irreversible. Restore deleted data only by restoring a backup of your cluster.

Delete historic data for a process definition using the Orchestration Cluster API and set the deleteHistory flag to true.

You can also delete a process definition with historic data using Operate. See the Operate user guide.

If you only want to delete process instance data, see process instance deletion.

Eventual consistency​

Historic data deletion runs asynchronously. Depending on the amount of data, it may take time for the data to be removed and for it to disappear from Operate and Tasklist.

Deleting a decision requirements graph​

Delete a decision requirements graph (DRG) by sending a delete resource command and providing the decision requirements key as the resource key.

Deleting a DRG also deletes the decisions it contains. Attempts to evaluate a deleted decision result in a NOT_FOUND exception. Deleting a DRG also deletes historical data.

Business rule tasks​

A business rule task references a decision by ID. If all versions of that decision are deleted, Zeebe creates an incident on the business rule task indicating that no decision with the given ID can be found.

Historic data​

Optionally enable historic data deletion to permanently remove all data related to the decision definition from secondary storage.

warning

Deletion is irreversible. Restore deleted data only by restoring a backup of your cluster.

Delete historic data for a decision definition using the Orchestration Cluster API and set the deleteHistory flag to true.

You can also delete historic data for a decision definition in Operate. See the Operate user guide.

If you only want to delete decision instance data, see decision instance deletion.

Eventual consistency​

Historic data deletion runs asynchronously. Depending on the amount of data, it may take time for the data to be removed and for it to disappear from Operate and Tasklist.