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Database / Mnesia intermediate to advanced Interview questions

What is mnesia:del_table_copy/2 used for?

mnesia:del_table_copy(Table, Node) updates the schema to stop treating the given node as a replica of the specified table, and reclaims whatever storage (memory and/or disk) that copy was using on that node — a schema-level operation, run as part of deliberate cluster maintenance rather than everyday application logic.

mnesia:transaction(fun() ->
    mnesia:del_table_copy(archive_log, 'old_node@host')
end).

Because this changes replication topology, it's schema-affecting and typically done during planned maintenance windows rather than as part of routine request handling — the same caution that applies to add_table_copy/3 or change_table_copy_type/3 applies here: verify the table still has sufficient remaining replicas for your durability/availability needs before removing this one.

What kind of operation is mnesia:del_table_copy/2 best described as?
What should you verify before removing a table copy from a node?

More Related questions...

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