QUESTION

How does Nintex store its workflow history data?

ANSWER

There are two types of data stored by Nintex Workflow as a workflow runs:

Tracking data for each action and task

This is stored in the SQL Server database and is used to display most of the data on the following pages:

• /_layouts/NintexWorkflow/ItemWorkflows.aspx
• /_layouts/NintexWorkflow/Preview.aspx
• /_layouts/NintexWorkflow/WorkflowLog.aspx

Workflow messages.

These are the text messages that are stored in a SharePoint workflow history list, the same as a standard SharePoint workflow and is affected by the default 60 day cleanup.

 

The page /_layouts/NintexWorkflow/WorkflowLog.aspx displays information from both the Nintex database and the workflow history list. It has three sections:

• Action History
• Task History
• Workflow Messages

After 60 days, the information in Workflow Messages is purged. The information in Action History and Task History is retained. The following pages are not affected by this clean-up:

• /_layouts/NintexWorkflow/ItemWorkflows.aspx
• /_layouts/NintexWorkflow/Preview.aspx

The automatic clean-up of workflow history can be disabled. For more information, see Disable automatic cleanup of workflow history in Microsoft TechNet. If it is not disabled, the workflow history links between the workflow and the history message will be deleted after 60 days.