UnityIS® On-Prem Database Maintenance Responsibilities

Important Performance Guidance for Customers Running UnityIS On-Prem

Overview

UnityIS® is a high-performance, web-based security management platform designed to run efficiently in both cloud and on-prem environments. When UnityIS is deployed in the cloud, database maintenance and optimization are handled automatically using purpose-built tools and processes.

For on-prem deployments, database performance and long-term health are the responsibility of the customer or their IT team.

This document explains:

  • Why database maintenance is critical for UnityIS® performance

  • The most common cause of “slow” or “laggy” behavior in on-prem systems

  • The required steps customers must take to properly maintain their database


Supported Databases for On-Prem UnityIS®

On-prem UnityIS installations support:

  • MariaDB

  • Microsoft SQL Server

While both databases are fully supported, UnityIS® performance depends heavily on ongoing database maintenance, particularly when using Microsoft SQL Server.


Common Cause of Performance Issues

In nearly every reported case of slow or laggy UnityIS® behavior on-prem, the root cause has been:

Excessive historical data in high-transaction tables, most commonly:

  • Events table

  • Audits table

These tables store every system transaction (access events, alarms, system activity, etc.). If they are not archived regularly, they can grow to contain years of data.

Why This Matters

  • Large tables significantly slow SQL query execution

  • UnityIS relies on fast database queries for real-time operation

  • As table size grows, the system becomes increasingly sluggish

  • UI delays, slow page loads, and lag are typical symptoms


Required Maintenance: Event & Audit Archiving

UnityIS includes a built-in, automated method to manage historical data. No custom scripts or manual deletions are required.

Recommended Retention Policy

  • 12 months or less of event and audit data

  • Retaining more than 12 months offers little operational value and negatively impacts performance


How to Configure Data Retention in UnityIS

  1. Log into UnityIS with an administrator account

  2. Navigate to System Settings

  3. Click the Backups tab

  4. Locate “Number of Months to Keep”

  5. Set the value to 12 (or fewer months if desired)

  6. Click Save Backup Settings

What This Does

  • UnityIS® will automatically delete event and audit records older than the specified number of months

  • This process runs safely and does not affect current or future system operation


Required Step After Archiving (SQL Server Only)

If your on-prem UnityIS system uses Microsoft SQL Server, re-indexing the database is required after historical data is removed.

Why Re-Indexing Is Important

  • Deleting large volumes of data fragments SQL indexes

  • Fragmented indexes still cause slow queries even after data removal

  • Re-indexing restores optimal query performance

Responsibility

Re-indexing SQL Server must be performed by the customer’s IT staff or database administrator.

UnityIS® does not automatically re-index customer-managed SQL Server databases.


Results After Proper Maintenance

When customers:

  • Archive Events and Audits to 12 months or less

  • Re-index their SQL Server database

The result has consistently been:

  • Immediate improvement in system responsiveness

  • Faster page loads

  • Elimination of lag and delays

  • Restored real-time performance


Customer Responsibility Statement

For on-prem UnityIS® deployments:

  • The customer is responsible for:

    • Database size management

    • Data retention policies

    • Index maintenance (SQL Server)

  • UnityIS® performance depends on proper database upkeep

  • Lack of database maintenance can and will impact system performance

UnityIS provides the tools needed to manage this—but ongoing maintenance is not optional for on-prem installations.


Need Help?

If you are unsure how to:

  • Configure retention settings

  • Archive data safely

  • Re-index your SQL Server database

Your IT team or database administrator should perform these tasks.
IMRON support can provide guidance, but cannot manage or maintain customer-owned databases.

Was this article helpful?