# System purge

The System purge facility allows data that is no longer needed to be removed from the database.

Over time, large quantities of records will accumulate, and as these records grow older their usefulness will diminish. For several reasons, it is good practice to purge these superfluous records. This will not only make searching easier, but also keep database sizes to a minimum and maximise the speed at which operations can be completed.

When purging data, the same rules are applied as to when records are deleted. That is, some records cannot be deleted if other records are dependent upon it.