# Best Practice 19.3 – Use compression, reorganization, and reclaim strategies
<a name="best-practice-19-3"></a>

All databases supported by SAP provide mechanisms for reclaiming space. These mechanisms should be part of regular maintenance activities to minimize cost increases associated with extending memory or EBS volumes.

 **Suggestion 19.3.1 – Use database compression** 

 Compression is a default characteristic in SAP HANA. Use of compression in other databases might require additional licenses but should be explored for cost and performance benefits. The following notes provide a starting point for the various databases, but refer to SAP and database documentation for additional information. 


| Database | SAP Documentation or SAP Notes | 
| --- | --- | 
| SAP HANA |  SAP Note: [2112604 - FAQ: SAP HANA Compression](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2112604) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| SAP ASE | (Consult SAP or Vendor documentation for guidance) | 
| IBM Db2 |  SAP Note: [1555903 - DB6: Supported IBM Db2 Database Features](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/1555903) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| Oracle |  SAP Note: [1289494 - FAQ: Oracle compression](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/1289494) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| Microsoft SQL Server |  SAP Note: [1488135 - Database compression for SQL Server](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/1488135) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| SAP MaxDB | (Consult SAP or Vendor documentation for guidance) | 

 **Suggestion 19.3.2 – Use database reorganizations and reclaim operations** 

 Space which is unused within the database, due to organic use or targeted archive and cleanup activities, might require a reorganization or reclaim operation to realize the space savings. By reclaiming space regularly, you will reduce the overall growth and requirement for additional storage or memory. The following notes provide a starting point for the various databases, but refer to SAP and database documentation: 


| Database | SAP Documentation or SAP Notes | 
| --- | --- | 
| SAP HANA |  SAP Note: [2499913 - How to shrink SAP HANA Data Volume size](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2499913) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| SAP ASE |  SAP Note: [2543407 - reorg rebuild with online - SAP ASE for Business Suite](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2543407) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| IBM Db2 |  SAP Note: [1942183 - DB6: When to consider a table or index reorganization](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/1942183) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| Oracle |  SAP Note: [541538 - FAQ: Reorganization](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/541538) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| Microsoft SQL Server |  SAP Note: [1721843 - MSSQL: Post-steps after archiving, deleting or compression](https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/1721843) [Requires SAP Portal Access]  | 
| SAP MaxDB | (Consult SAP or Vendor documentation for guidance) |