How to Fix Lotus Notes Database Size Limit Exceeded Error?

When the Lotus Notes database size limit is exceeded, specific errors and warning messages appear. It initially warns the user that they are about to reach the quota limit by displaying “Warning, database has exceeded its size warning threshold.”

This message basically gives an opportunity to manage the database size. In case the user ignores this initial warning, it displays “Cannot allocate database object, the database would exceed its disk quota.”

This message indicates that Lotus Notes will not record further transactions or create new database elements until the user reduces the size of the database.

What Causes the Lotus Notes Database Size Limit Exceeded Error?

The Lotus Notes database size limit exceeded error is caused by the .nsf file exceeding either its assigned administrator-defined quota or the maximum architectural file-size limit (ODS capacity) of the software version. Primary causes include:

• Hundreds of emails accumulated in the Lotus Notes mailbox of a user.
• Most of the Lotus Notes users send and reply to emails with attachments, which take up the most space in the NSF file.
• Deleted emails go to the trash folder, which takes up a lot of space until they are emptied or compacted.
• There might be many draft emails which the user may have forgotten to delete or save with lots of attachments.
• Every piece of sent mail is stored in this database, which accumulates quickly.
• The Lotus Notes calendar and action entries tend to fill up after a while.
• Deleted mail, folders, databases, or any data in general leave white space in the Lotus Notes database.

How to Check the Lotus Notes Database Size and Quota?

To check Lotus Notes database size and quota, follow these steps depending on whether you are using the end-user email client or Domino Administrator console.

Method 1. Using Lotus Notes Client (For End Users)

1. Open Lotus Notes >File> Application >Properties.

   Note: You can even right-click the database icon and select Properties.

2. Go to the Info tab marked with ‘i’ to see the file size.
3. Go to % used to see the percentage of the database occupied by real data versus white space.

Note: If the percentage is under 90%, clicking Compact will shrink the file size by removing empty space.

Method 2. Using Domino Administrator Console (For Admins)

1. Open Domino Administrator Console.
2. Select the server hosting the mailboxes or databases you want to inspect from the Server
3. Click Files to display a list of all database files (.nsf), then select the desired one(s).
4. Go to Tools and select Database >Quotas.
5. A display showing database size quota and quota warning threshold will appear. You can check database size and quota from there.

Method 3. Using LotusScript (For Developers)

LotusScript lets you read size and quota values directly from the NotesDatabase class, so you can check one database or report on a whole folder.

This agent shows the size and quota of a database. Change the server name and file name to match yours:

How to Reduce Lotus Notes Database Size?

To reduce Lotus Notes database size, you need to clean out unnecessary data, remove internal white space, and archive older items. Here are some methods listed to perform the cleanup:

Method 1. Compact Database (Remove White Space)

When users delete large emails or attachments, it leaves behind white space inside the NSF file rather than shrinking the physical file right away.

1. Open the Notes mailbox, then click File >Application >Properties.
2. Click i (info) to view the percentage of space actually in use.
3. Click % used to see if the ratio is low.
4. Click Compact to compress the file and reclaim unused space.

Method 2. Delete Unnecessary Emails & Attachments

Backup HCL Notes NSF files, then locate and delete large, duplicate, outdated, or unwanted emails, attachments, drafts, and graphical items. Just open All Documents or Inbox, sort emails by size or date, and then delete the emails that are large or unnecessary. Select the large message you want to remove and press Delete. Repeat the same process for all folders.

Method 3. Empty Trash Folder

The messages you delete end up in the Trash folder, and they keep utilizing the space unless permanently emptied. Here is how you can empty the Trash folder:

1. Click on Trash in the navigator.
2. Now, from the toolbar, click Empty Trash and confirm.
3. If the option is missing, press CTRL+A to select all items and press Delete.

Method 4. Disable Sent Mail Automatic Saving

If you do not wish to save your sent emails automatically, then you can disable it with the Always Prompt option. Below are the steps to do it:

1. Click File >Preferences >User Preferences >Mail.
2. Browse for Save Mails That You Send and select the Always Prompt option from the drop-down list.

When this option is turned on, the user will be prompted to save a copy of the email they send.

Method 5. Adjust Settings to Prevent Future Bloats

Enable a few settings in your Lotus Notes for management of Lotus Notes database file size limit.

• Reply/forward Settings: Select the Reply without Attachments option to prevent duplicate copies of large files from stacking up in your thread history.
• Replication Settings: In case you use a local replica, limit replication to headers-only or filter out older or unnecessary data items.

Management of Lotus Notes Database File Size Limit

Fixing the Lotus Notes database size limit exceeded error once is not enough. The following practices will help to avoid it:

• Set quotas with an appropriate warning level to notify users before they exceed the limit
• Apply the archiving policy and define the period for storing mails
• Schedule the compaction
• Check the size of the database and its growth using the Files tab and analyze the largest mail files regularly
• Enable Domino Attachment and Object Service (DAOS) if attachments dominate the sizes of these files
• Educate users about detaching big files, emptying the trash, and archiving periodically
• Back up the archives and make sure the documented recovery procedure for damaged NSF files

Last Say

The error “Lotus Notes database size limit exceeded” may occur in your Lotus Notes, which is easily resolved by compacting the database, increasing the file size limit, emptying the trash, or disabling automatic saving of sent emails. If these measures do not work, you can create a new replica or contact your Domino administrator to address the problem.

Sahil VermaTechnical Writer

This article is written by Sahil Verma, a technical content writer at Kernel Data Recovery. This content has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial guidelines.