Hey Sheryl, this sounds like a feature request to be able to archive instances of a Forms process based on some user-provided criteria such as a date range. Maybe Laserfiche can provide a temporary solution in the interim. 

Hi Sheryl,

    Before Forms 10.1, if you delete an instance, the instance will only be marked as deleted in the database, all the related data won't be deleted actually. This has been improved in 10.1 to delete all the data from database when delete instance. You can use similar queries in Forms 9.2 to delete the instance as well as the data, following is the sql script you can refer to, you just need to modify the "prepare the instances ids to be deleted" part, in my sample, I delete the instance which is completed(status=2) and start date between '2016-05-30 00:00:00.000'and  '2016-05-30 7:00:00.000':

-- update the constraints before delete instances
IF OBJECT_ID('[dbo].[FK_form_subms_subms]') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
	ALTER TABLE dbo.cf_form_submissions DROP CONSTRAINT FK_form_subms_subms
END

ALTER TABLE dbo.cf_form_submissions ADD CONSTRAINT
	FK_form_subms_subms FOREIGN KEY
	(
	submission_id
	) REFERENCES dbo.cf_submissions
	(
	submission_id
	) 
	ON UPDATE NO ACTION 
	ON DELETE CASCADE

IF OBJECT_ID('[dbo].[FK_data_subms_subms]') IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
	ALTER TABLE dbo.cf_data_submissions DROP CONSTRAINT FK_data_subms_subms
END

ALTER TABLE dbo.cf_data_submissions ADD CONSTRAINT
	FK_data_subms_subms FOREIGN KEY
	(
		submission_id
	) REFERENCES dbo.cf_submissions
	(
		submission_id
	)
	ON UPDATE NO ACTION
	ON DELETE CASCADE

-- create table to store the instances ids to be deleted
IF (SELECT TYPE_ID('dbo.Forms_IdList')) IS NULL
BEGIN
	CREATE TYPE [dbo].[Forms_IdList] AS TABLE (id int)
END
GO

-- create store procedure to delete instance and related data
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[Forms_DeleteMainInstances] (
		@mainInstanceIds dbo.Forms_IdList READONLY -- the main instances to be deleted
	)
	AS
	BEGIN
		SET NOCOUNT ON;

		-- worke instances
		DELETE h FROM cf_bp_worker_instance_history h INNER JOIN cf_bp_worker_instances w ON h.instance_id = w.instance_id 
		WHERE w.bp_instance_id IN (SELECT * FROM @mainInstanceIds)
		
		DELETE r FROM cf_bp_worker_instnc_to_resume r INNER JOIN cf_bp_worker_instances w ON r.worker_instance_id = w.instance_id 
		WHERE w.bp_instance_id IN (SELECT * FROM @mainInstanceIds)

		DELETE p FROM cf_bp_instance_approvers_archive p INNER JOIN cf_bp_worker_instnc_to_resume_archive a ON p.resume_id = a.resume_id 
		INNER JOIN cf_bp_worker_instances w ON a.worker_instance_id = w.instance_id 
		WHERE w.bp_instance_id IN (SELECT * FROM @mainInstanceIds)
		
		DELETE a FROM cf_bp_worker_instnc_to_resume_archive a INNER JOIN cf_bp_worker_instances w ON a.worker_instance_id = w.instance_id 
		WHERE w.bp_instance_id IN (SELECT * FROM @mainInstanceIds)

		DELETE FROM cf_bp_worker_instances WHERE bp_instance_id IN (SELECT * FROM @mainInstanceIds)

		-- submissions
		SELECT submission_id INTO #submissions FROM cf_submissions WHERE bp_instance_id IN (SELECT * FROM @mainInstanceIds)
		SELECT submission_id INTO #prev_submissions FROM cf_submissions WHERE prev_submission_id IN (SELECT * FROM #submissions)
		UPDATE cf_submissions SET prev_submission_id = NULL WHERE prev_submission_id IN (SELECT * FROM #submissions)

		-- attachments
		DELETE a FROM cf_bp_attachment_data a LEFT JOIN cf_bp_data_attachment_mapping m ON a.attachment_id = m.attachment_id LEFT JOIN cf_bp_data d ON m.bp_data_id = d.bp_data_id
		WHERE a.deleted_on IN (SELECT * FROM #submissions) OR a.deleted_on IN (SELECT * FROM #prev_submissions)
		OR d.bp_data_id IN (SELECT * FROM #submissions) OR d.bp_data_id IN (SELECT * FROM #prev_submissions) 

		DELETE FROM cf_submissions WHERE submission_id IN (SELECT * FROM #submissions) OR submission_id IN (SELECT * FROM #prev_submissions)

		-- main instances
		DELETE FROM cf_bp_main_instances WHERE bp_instance_id IN (SELECT * FROM @mainInstanceIds)

	END
GO

-- prepare the instances ids to be deleted
DECLARE @ids Forms_IdList
INSERT INTO @ids 
select bp_instance_id from [cf_bp_main_instances] where status=2 and start_date>'2016-05-30 00:00:00.000'and start_date< '2016-05-30 7:00:00.000'

EXEC dbo.Forms_DeleteMainInstances @mainInstanceIds = @ids
GO

-- drop the type and stored procedure after deletion

DROP PROCEDURE [dbo].[Forms_DeleteMainInstances]
DROP TYPE [dbo].[Forms_IdList]
GO

If you are using Forms 10.0, you need to add following script to the "update constraint before delete instances" part:

IF OBJECT_ID('[dbo].[FK_submission_worker_inst_history]')IS NOT NULL
BEGIN
ALTER TABLE dbo.cf_submissions DROP CONSTRAINT FK_submission_worker_inst_history
END
ALTER TABLE dbo.cf_submissions ADD CONSTRAINT
	FK_submission_worker_inst_history FOREIGN KEY
	(
	history_id
	) REFERENCES dbo.cf_bp_worker_instance_history
	(
	history_id
	) ON UPDATE  NO ACTION 
	 ON DELETE  SET NULL 

Great idea, Brandon! I will add it as a feature request.

So I would just like to add my thoughts here. I came upon this post because I was trying to determine how long forms instance information would be retrievable from Workflow. Every time I save a form I save the instance and submission IDs to a field. Then, with workflow, I use those IDs to retrieve some of the field data. I do this to minimize the fluff data I save to the template in the repository. Some of the field data is needed but for a limited time to just send notifications or fill out PDF forms within WF. So I was curious how much time I had to retrieve those variables before they are purged, if they are even purged at all.

This thread makes me want to point out to those interested in purging that they may not want to commit to a short purge time frame.

Anyhow, am I to believe from this thread that instance variables are saved infinitely? If not what is the built in purge cycle or process?