SAP Note 10609 - SAPDBA: "not enough contiguous space to reorganize"

Symptom

SAPDBA reports space problems ("not enough contiguous space") when reorganizing a tablespace or individual tables or indexes. These problems are more likely to occur during a reorganization of tablespaces without data files or for individual objects than during a reorganization with data files.
Additional key words

Cause and prerequisites

1.:
During the reorganization tables and indexes are grouped together in an INITIAL extent (default), whose size is the total size of all extents of the object in question before the reorganization (i.e., the total size of an object will not be lessened). Thus more contiguous space is required. However, if a tablespace consists of several small data files, or if during reorganization of an individual object both the object and the tablespace are highly fragmented, it is possible that these conditions will make the reorganization impossible.reorganization may be impossible.

2.:
When INITIAL parameters of tables or indexes are increased manually during the reorganization (option "Change storage manually"),
there may not be enough space and reorganization is therefore
impossible with these values.

3.
During the reorganization the objects (up to and including 3.00) are regenerated in alphabetical sequence. Under unfavorable conditions (especially when reorganizing tablespaces without data files) this may result in free space not being used as efficiently as before and reorganization is impossible. From version 3.0A onwards objects are restored in the sequence of the INITIAL values, i.e., large objects are created first. This almost solves the problems but does not eliminate it completely.

4.:
When tablespaces with data files are reorganized, one new data file is created whose size corresponds to the total size of the old files in the tablespace (default). However, when several data files are generated automatically or manually by SAPDBA (due to the 2G limit for data files), storage space is no longer contiguous, which may cause the same problem as described under cause 1.
Solution

1.:
1.1. Reorganize the tablespace with data files (not without); data
files are thus grouped together and the complete space is
contiguous, i.e., sufficient in any case.
or
1.2. Repeat the tablespace reorganization after having extended the
tablespace.
(SAPDBA -> Main menu -> c:)
or
1.3. Repeat the tablespace reorganization:
not with "compress extents: yes", but with "no".
Thus the extents are created with the same INITIAL extents;
it is not imperative that the space be contiguous
(unlike the "compress extents" option). If needed, NEXT extents
are created a reimport of the data.
Disadvantage: Objects are not brought together completely in one
extent.
Advantages: - objects need not be created in context
- objects are made smaller, since empty extents are
not recreated.
or
1.4 (available in SAPDBA 3.0A)
Repeat the reorganization with option "Reduce object size: yes"
instead of "no." The actual space used by each object will be
determined and the INITIAL values set accordingly. This will,
in the process, optimize the needed space (reduce it).
Disadvantage: Creating the scripts demands more time.

Points 1.1 to 1.4 can be combined as wished.

2.:
Same as 1.1 to 1.4, and/or increase the INITIAL values less or not at
all.

3.:
Same as 1.1 to 1.4, and/or use SAPDBA >= 3.0A (as soon as available).

4.:
Use as few large data files as possible. If the file size has already reached 2GB, add more files (in the menu during the reorganization using SAPDBA). Up to and including 2.2D, increase the INITIAL values of the maximum file size ("change storage manually"). From 2.2E onwards this is performed automatically by SAPDBA.

Keyword: SAPDBA