Enable Write-Ahead Logging

Required Tenable Security Center User Role: Root user

Note: This topic assumes a basic understanding of Linux.

You can use the convertDatabaseMode.php script to enable write-ahead logging (WAL) journaling mode for Tenable Security Center Director databases. Enabling WAL may resolve issues with excessive database locks. If your Tenable Security Center Director does not experience database locking issues, Tenable recommends leaving your Tenable Security Center Director databases in the default DELETE journaling mode.

For more information, see Tenable Security Center Director Database Journaling Modes.

Before you begin:

  • Confirm your Tenable Security Center Director installation meets the requirements to enable WAL. For more information, see WAL Requirements.

  • Write-ahead logging mode typically uses more disk space than DELETE mode. Consider your disk space availability before enabling write-ahead logging. Tenable recommends the same amount of disk space that is occupied by the database.

  • Perform a backup of Tenable Security Center Director, as described in Perform a Backup.

To enable WAL:

  1. Log in to Tenable Security Center Director via the command line interface (CLI).

  2. Stop Tenable Security Center Director, as described in Start, Stop, or Restart Tenable Security Center Director.

  3. In the CLI in Tenable Security Center Director, run the following command to start the converDatabaseMode.php script:

    /opt/sc/support/bin/php /opt/sc/src/tools/convertDatabaseMode.php -m WAL

    The script runs.

  4. If the script detects any running tns user processes, repeat the following steps for each tns user process detected:

    1. Follow the prompts in the error output to halt the tns user process.

      Example error output:

      Error! The Tenable Security Center process with PID '10135' is still running and needs to be halted before this script can be executed successfully.

         Command: /opt/sc/support/bin/php -f /opt/sc/daemons/Jobd.php

      Bailing with 146.

    2. Run the following command to restart the converDatabaseMode.php script:

      /opt/sc/support/bin/php /opt/sc/src/tools/convertDatabaseMode.php -m WAL

      The script restarts.

    Tenable Security Center Director converts supported databases to WAL journaling mode. For more information, see Databases Affected.

  5. Start Tenable Security Center Director, as described in Start, Stop, or Restart Tenable Security Center Director.

What to do next:

  • Perform regular backups of Tenable Security Center Director, as described in Perform a Backup.