Removing data

In Nuvolos, datasets and their tables are stored persistently and tracked within an instance across all its snapshots. This design ensures consistency and reproducibility, but it also means that data is not automatically deleted from storage when only removed from the current state.

Key Concepts:

• Snapshots are immutable: Once a snapshot is created, it preserves the state of the instance at that point in time. You cannot selectively modify or remove parts of a snapshot.

• Shared data references: Tables deleted in the current state may still be retained in older snapshots, which continue to reference the same underlying data.

Deleting a table from the current state alone does not free up storage space.

All snapshots that still reference the table must also be deleted to fully release the associated storage.

This is expected and intentional behavior in Nuvolos, ensuring that historical states remain intact unless explicitly removed.

To fully delete a table and reclaim storage:

1. Delete the table in the current state, and

2. Delete all snapshots that still contain the table.

Only once no references remain — in either the current state or any snapshots — will the data be permanently removed from storage.