CRON job to perform maintenance on db with old and inactive accounts

[fabd]

The database is now above 2 GB on the web host. Really need to start thinking about periodical cleanup of the database, potentially through a CRON job.

Unused accounts is the easiest to address.

Accounts that are routinely created but not used, usually with 0 cards and 0 stories, free up next to no space... but they do free up usernames. These can be deleted without much worry, criteria may be : not logged within amonth, 0 cards, 0 stories => permanently delete

Old inactive accounts

For inactive accounts one idea would be to create a separate database to store inactive accounts.

CRON job would match a criteria, and move this data to a separate database, say any inactive acount since 6 months to a year.

A button in the user settings could allow the user to retrieve their data. Or maybe just tell people to contact as this is a realtively low occurence?

The advantage of moving inactive accounts to a separate db is that I don't need to worry about criteria. Since we don't lose data. BUT the main database will be smaller, and faster. AND we don't need to worry about backing up the "inactive accounts" db because in the worst case if it was deleted or lost, they are inactive accounts anyway.

I prefer this solution to all out deleting from main db based on criteria because you never know. Users coming back after a long break is not uncommon with Kanji Koohii. I get emails now and then from such users who want to reset their SRS, or trying to log back in their old accounts...