Database Manager: The transaction log for database NPM is full

11/29/2018 10:48 PM

3/31/2026 4:53 PM

This article provides brief information and steps to resolve the following Database Manager error:

The transaction log for database 'NPM' is full. To find out why space in the log cannot be reused, see the log_reuse_wait_desc column in sys.databases

Network Performance Monitor

This issue may be caused by:

• Lack of disk space.
• The Log Data File (LDF) Autogrowth restriction was reached.

Change the recovery model for the Orion database from Full to Simple.

For steps, see Database recovery model - Change recovery model to Simple.

Define an absolute Autogrowth setting for the Transaction Log file in the database settings

The transaction log should be sized based on the amount of data modifications made to a database and the frequency of the log backups. Large data modifications, such as data loads or index rebuilds, should be taken into account when calculating a log file size.

With the Simple recovery model, the transaction log should not grow because the interval between checkpoints (which truncate the log) is based on the amount of data modifications made. If the log does grow, it may be due to long-running transactions or transactions that were left open. Either may indicate a problem with the application.

In the Full or Bulk-logged recovery model, a growing transaction log may indicate that the frequency of data modifications increased, so the interval between log backups should be decreased. It may also indicate long-running transactions or that log backup jobs are not running properly.
Per the SQL Server configuration best practices for Orion Platform products article, recommended settings for the Transaction log file include:

• For medium environments, set the initial size to 2048 MB and autogrowth to 1024 MB.
• For large environments, set the initial size to 8192 MB and autogrowth to 8192 MB.

Shrink log files

1. Change the recovery model for the Orion database from Full to Simple.
2. Back up your database. This will mark the data in the transaction logs as committed and no longer necessary.
3. Shrink log files to reclaim the log space. See Shrink a File. (© 2019 Microsoft, available at https://docs.microsoft.com, obtained on June 13, 2019)
   Note: You must have free space on the disk to shrink files. 

SolarWinds Article: Shrink the size of the Orion Database Transaction Log File

Detach the database (NPM 12.3 and earlier ONLY) 

If the "Transaction log for database 'NPM' is full" message continues to appear after adjusting database settings and shrinking log files, you can try the following steps. 
Warning: Do not perform these steps in NPM 12.4 or later.

1. Complete the steps listed in "Shrink log files" above. Be sure to back up your database.
2. Stop Orion Services.
3. In SQL Server Management Studio or Orion Database Manger, right-click the NetPerfMon database and select Detach. Note: Do not proceed if there is an error when detaching.
4. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the directory where the MDF and LDF files are stored, and delete ONLY the LDF file.
5. Return to SQL Server Management Studio or Orion Database Manager, right-click your SQL server, and select Attach Database.                                                                                                                
6. Select the MDF file, and click OK.                                                                                                                        
7. Remove the LDF file entry and click OK.                                                                                                              
8.      Restart Orion Services.

Learn more

• Quick Orion database health check guide
• Optimization Guide
• Best practices for managing your Orion database

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