docs-v2/content/shared/influxctl/database/create.md

The influxctl database create command creates a new database with a specified retention period in an {{< product-name omit=" Clustered" >}} cluster.

The retention period defines the maximum age of data retained in the database, based on the timestamp of the data. The retention period value is a time duration value made up of a numeric value plus a duration unit. For example, 30d means 30 days. A zero duration retention period is infinite and data will not expire. The retention period value cannot be negative or contain whitespace.

{{< flex >}} {{% flex-content "half" %}}

Valid durations units include

• m: minute
• h: hour
• d: day
• w: week
• mo: month
• y: year

{{% /flex-content %}} {{% flex-content "half" %}}

Example retention period values

• 0d: infinite/none
• 3d: 3 days
• 6w: 6 weeks
• 1mo: 1 month (30 days)
• 1y: 1 year
• 30d30d: 60 days
• 2.5d: 60 hours

{{% /flex-content %}} {{< /flex >}}

Custom partitioning

You can override the default partition template (%Y-%m-%d) of the database with the --template-tag, --template-tag-bucket, and --template-timeformat flags when you create the database. Provide a time format using Rust strftime, partition by specific tag, or partition tag values into a specified number of "buckets." Each of these can be used as part of the partition template. Be sure to follow partitioning best practices.

[!Note]

Always provide a time format when using custom partitioning

If defining a custom partition template for your database with any of the --template-* flags, always include the --template-timeformat flag with a time format to use in your partition template. Otherwise, InfluxDB omits time from the partition template and won't compact partitions.

[!Warning]

Wait before writing to a new database with the same name as a deleted database

After deleting a database from your {{% product-name omit=" Clustered" %}} cluster, you can reuse the name to create a new database, but wait two to three minutes after deleting the previous database before writing to the new database to allow write caches to clear.

Usage

influxctl database create [flags] <DATABASE_NAME>

Arguments

Argument	Description
DATABASE_NAME	InfluxDB database name

Flags

Flag		Description
	--retention-period	Database retention period (default is 0s, infinite)
	--max-tables	Maximum tables per database (default is 500, 0 uses default)
	--max-columns	Maximum columns per table (default is 250, 0 uses default)
	--template-tag	Tag to add to partition template (can include multiple of this flag)
	--template-tag-bucket	Tag and number of buckets to partition tag values into separated by a comma--for example: tag1,100 (can include multiple of this flag)
	--template-timeformat	Timestamp format for partition template (default is %Y-%m-%d)
-h	--help	Output command help

{{% caption %}} Also see influxctl global flags. {{% /caption %}}

Examples

• Create a database with an infinite retention period
• Create a database with a 30-day retention period
• Create a database with non-default table and column limits
• Create a database with a custom partition template

Create a database with an infinite retention period

influxctl database create mydb

Create a database with a 30-day retention period

influxctl database create \
  --retention-period 30d \
  mydb

Create a database with non-default table and column limits

influxctl database create \
  --max-tables 200 \
  --max-columns 150 \
  mydb

Create a database with a custom partition template

The following example creates a new mydb database and applies a partition template that partitions by two tags (room and sensor-type) and by day using the time format %Y-%m-%d:

influxctl database create \
  --template-tag room \
  --template-tag sensor-type \
  --template-tag-bucket customerID,1000 \
  --template-timeformat '%Y-%m-%d' \
  mydb

For more information about custom partitioning, see Manage data partitioning.

{{% expand "View command updates" %}}

v2.7.0

• Introduce the --template-tag-bucket flag to group tag values into buckets and partition by each tag bucket.

v2.5.0

• Introduce the --template-tag and --template-timeformat flags that define a custom partition template for a database.

{{% /expand %}}