sstableexpiredblockers

The sstableexpiredblockers utility will reveal blocking SSTables that prevent an SSTable from dropping.

During compaction, Cassandra can drop entire SSTables if they contain only expired tombstones and if it is guaranteed to not cover any data in other SSTables. This diagnostic tool outputs all SSTables that are blocking other SSTables from being dropped.

Usage:
  • Cassandra package installations: 
    sstableexpiredblockers [--dry-run] keyspace table
  • Cassandra tarball installations: 
    cd install_location/tools
$ bin/sstableexpiredblockers [--dry-run] keyspace table

Procedure

Choose a keyspace and table to check for any SSTables that are blocking the specified table from dropping. 
sstableexpiredblockers cycling cyclist_name