Marc Kelderman wrote a helpful article on this topic:

http://orasoa.blogspot.com/2007/03/delete-bpel-instances.html

One of the users there notes:

Note there is a patch to 10.1.3.3 to purge old data (6372741). Its a fairly dumb one that deletes everything older than a given date. Trying to do something more elaborate we have noticed that if you use the script in this article as a basis then rows in xml_document table are not removed.

We have written code to conditionally purge BPEL instances in a sophisticated manner, taking into account custom logic, scheduling, and performance for multiple customers in SOA/BPEL versions 10.1.2 and 10.1.3.x. The fact is that purging should be strategically planned to meet your unique use of Oracle BPEL.

Drop us a note if you would like to discuss your specific needs. We are very responsive and happy to jump onto an initial call for FREE.

Related Information:

1. BPEL Not Good For Rapid Changes

   I am excited about BPEL’s proliferation. But for some organizations (specifically, IT shops), BPEL is being used in areas it...

2. Applications with SQL Maintained Outside of Stored Procedures

   I have seen multiple custom solutions and packaged applications store their SQL outside of stored procedures. I am focusing this...

3. Oracle SOA Environment Performance Tuning Options - Quick Notes

   Tuning OAS and BPEL Console....

4. Oracle AS: Undeploying Multiple Applications (including BPEL Human Tasks)

   Undeploying a single application in Oracle Application Server is pretty straightforward. However, I had a scenario where I needed to...

5. Deciding where to use BPEL vs ESB

   I just had a discussion with an M&S SOA Architect about the advantages and disadvantages of BPEL vs ESB, and...

6. BPEL Database Polling - Oracle SOA 10.1.3.x in JDeveloper (Asynchronous)

   Polling for changes in a database has been a requirement for systems for a very long time. With Oracle BPEL,...

7. Oracle DBMS_SCHEDULER vs DBMS_JOB (Create, Run, Monitor, Remove)

    DBMS_SCHEDULER is a newer, more complex job scheduling engine released in 10g, intended to replace DBMS_JOB going forward. DBMS_JOB,...