Maximizing Database Performance: The Benefits of Full Compactions and Automated Scheduling

YugabyteDB relies on RocksDB compaction algorithms for internal data management, which are well-optimized for new incoming writes but may fall short in scenarios with frequent updates or deletes, TTL enabled, or specific compliance requirements. Full tablet compactions can fill those gaps by combining all files within a single tablet into one large file, reducing read amplification and garbage collection, and reclaiming space on disk. This process requires minimal resources and can be scheduled to run regularly or triggered manually using YB admin tools. By performing full compactions, users can improve disk space usage, performance, and reduce the impact of read amplification in workloads with high rates of updates or deletions, TTL enabled, or specific compliance requirements.