<@ULVA73B9P> Is there a limit to the storage of Pr...
# ask-marvin
d
@Marvin Is there a limit to the storage of Prefect server's running locally (which use SQLite). How would I completely reset my storage/state of local Prefect server
m
thought for 114.8 seconds
Based on the research and CLI verification, here's what you need to know about local Prefect server storage: 1. Storage Limits: - The local SQLite database doesn't have a specific limit set by Prefect - SQLite itself can handle up to 140 terabytes, which is more than sufficient for local development - However, SQLite is not recommended for high-concurrency or production workloads (PostgreSQL is recommended instead) 2. How to Reset Your Local Server State: The easiest way to reset your local Prefect server state is using the CLI:
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bash
   # First, stop your running server
   prefect server stop

   # Then reset the database
   prefect server database reset

   # Finally, restart your server
   prefect server start
The
database reset
command will drop and recreate all Prefect database tables, giving you a clean slate. 3. Alternative Reset Methods: - You can also manually delete the SQLite database file, which is typically located at: - Linux/Mac:
~/.prefect/prefect.db
- Windows:
C:\Users\<USERNAME>\.prefect\prefect.db
- After deletion, the database will be automatically recreated when you start the server 4. Important Notes: - Resetting the database will remove ALL data including: - Flow runs history - Deployments - Work pool configurations - Blocks - Make sure to back up any important configurations before resetting - If you're experiencing performance issues with SQLite, consider switching to PostgreSQL, especially for larger workloads Would you like me to provide more specific information about any of these aspects?
d
@Marvin I'm getting the following error message when trying to run flows on Prefect...
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08:53:42.862 | WARNING | prefect.server.services.failexpiredpauses - FailExpiredPauses took 8.264415 seconds to run, which is longer than its loop interval of 5.0 seconds.
08:53:42.865 | WARNING | prefect.server.services.recentdeploymentsscheduler - RecentDeploymentsScheduler took 8.26827 seconds to run, which is longer than its loop interval of 5.0 seconds.
m
thought for 50.3 seconds
Based on the research and existing GitHub issues, I can provide a comprehensive explanation of what's happening and how to address it: ### What's Happening These warnings indicate that certain Prefect server background services are taking longer to complete their tasks than their designated intervals. This is typically a symptom of one of several issues: 1. Database Performance Issues: The most common cause, where database operations are taking longer than expected 2. Resource Constraints: Limited CPU, memory, or I/O resources 3. High Load: Too many flow runs or deployments being processed simultaneously ### Common Causes and Solutions 1. If you're using SQLite (default local database): - SQLite can become a bottleneck when handling many concurrent operations - Solutions: - Consider switching to PostgreSQL for better performance - Reduce the number of concurrent flow runs - Clean up old flow run history regularly 2. If you're using PostgreSQL: - Adjust the database connection pool settings in your Prefect configuration:
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yaml
   server:
     database:
       sqlalchemy:
         pool_size: 20  # Default is 5
         max_overflow: 10
         pool_timeout: 30
3. General Solutions: - Clean up old flow runs and task runs that are no longer needed - Reduce the frequency of scheduled flows if possible - Ensure your server has adequate resources (CPU/memory) ### Immediate Steps to Try 1. Reset the Database (if you want to start fresh):
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bash
   prefect server stop
   prefect server database reset
   prefect server start
2. Adjust Service Intervals (if needed): You can modify the service intervals in your Prefect configuration:
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yaml
   server:
     services:
       pause_expirations:
         loop_seconds: 10  # Increase from default 5
       scheduler:
         loop_seconds: 120  # Increase from default 60
3. Monitor Resource Usage: - Check CPU and memory usage on your server - Monitor database performance metrics - Look for potential bottlenecks in network or disk I/O ### When to Be Concerned While these warnings don't always indicate a serious problem, you should pay attention if: - The execution times are consistently much longer than the intervals (e.g., >2x the interval) - You notice actual performance impacts on your flows - The UI becomes slow or unresponsive - Flow runs are delayed or not starting on time ### Long-term Recommendations 1. For Production Environments: - Use PostgreSQL instead of SQLite - Implement regular maintenance procedures - Monitor system resources - Set up appropriate logging and alerting 2. For Development/Testing: - These warnings are less concerning in development environments - Consider periodic database resets to keep the system clean - Use smaller datasets for testing Would you like me to elaborate on any of these points or provide more specific guidance based on your setup?
d
@Marvin How would I know if the python script I'm trying to run is too intensive for my local Prefect server? I'm running a script but it appears to take a while to both run and show up on my Prefect dashboard
m
thought for 116.8 seconds
Based on the research, here's a comprehensive guide to help you understand if your script is too intensive for your local Prefect server and how to monitor it: ### Signs Your Flow Might Be Too Intensive 1. Execution Time Indicators: - Flow runs take significantly longer than when run as a standalone script - Large delay between flow submission and appearance in the dashboard - Tasks queue up but don't start executing promptly 2. Server Warning Signs: - Warning messages about services taking longer than their intervals - Slow or unresponsive Prefect UI - Flow runs showing up as "Late" or "Pending" for extended periods 3. System Resource Indicators: - High CPU usage - High memory consumption - Disk I/O bottlenecks - SQLite database lock timeouts (if using SQLite) ### How to Monitor Your Flow's Resource Usage 1. System Monitoring:
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python
   from prefect import flow, task
   import psutil
   import logging

   @task
   def monitor_resources():
       cpu_percent = psutil.cpu_percent()
       memory_percent = psutil.virtual_memory().percent
       <http://logging.info|logging.info>(f"CPU Usage: {cpu_percent}%")
       <http://logging.info|logging.info>(f"Memory Usage: {memory_percent}%")

   @flow
   def your_intensive_flow():
       # Add monitoring task at key points
       monitor_resources()
       # Your existing flow logic
       monitor_resources()  # Monitor again after intensive operations
2. Add Timing Metrics:
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python
   from prefect import flow
   import time

   @flow
   def monitored_flow():
       start_time = time.time()
       
       # Your flow logic here
       
       execution_time = time.time() - start_time
       if execution_time > 300:  # 5 minutes
           logging.warning(f"Flow took {execution_time} seconds to complete")
### Best Practices for Resource-Intensive Flows 1. Break Down Large Flows:
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python
   @task
   def process_chunk(chunk):
       # Process smaller chunk of data
       return result

   @flow
   def chunked_processing_flow(data):
       chunk_size = 1000
       chunks = [data[i:i + chunk_size] for i in range(0, len(data), chunk_size)]
       results = []
       for chunk in chunks:
           results.append(process_chunk(chunk))
       return results
2. Implement Resource Controls:
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python
   from prefect import task, flow, tags

   @task(tags=["resource-intensive"])
   def heavy_computation():
       # Your intensive computation here
       pass

   @flow(task_runner=ConcurrentTaskRunner())
   def controlled_flow():
       with tags("resource-intensive"):
           heavy_computation()
3. Use Task Caching for expensive operations:
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python
   @task(cache_key_fn=lambda context, params: f"data-{params['date']}")
   def expensive_data_fetch(date):
       # Expensive operation here
       pass
### Solutions for Resource-Intensive Flows 1. If Your Flow is CPU-Intensive: - Use task-level parallelization carefully - Consider using a worker pool with multiple workers - Break down computations into smaller tasks 2. If Your Flow is Memory-Intensive: - Implement data streaming instead of loading all data at once - Use generators for large datasets - Clear unnecessary variables during execution 3. If Your Flow has Many Database Operations: - Consider switching from SQLite to PostgreSQL - Implement batch processing - Use connection pooling effectively ### When to Scale Beyond Local Server Consider moving beyond a local server if you consistently see: - Flow runs taking >2x longer than standalone execution - Dashboard becoming unresponsive - System resources consistently above 80% utilization - Multiple flows failing due to timeout or resource issues Options include: 1. Setting up a dedicated Prefect server with PostgreSQL 2. Using Prefect Cloud 3. Implementing a distributed worker setup
Would you like me to elaborate on any of these aspects or provide more specific guidance based on your particular use case?