---
title: "Rebuild a table from scratch with the Rebuild action"
description: "The Rebuild action entirely rebuilds an existing table by creating a new physical table with the same schema and inserting all of its data into it"
url: https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/guides/public-cloud/data-platform/dpe-actions-rebuild
lang: de
lastUpdated: 2026-09-14
---
> For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/llms-full.txt.

# Rebuild a table from scratch with the Rebuild action

## Objective

The _Rebuild_ action **entirely rebuilds an existing table** by creating a new physical table with the same schema and inserting all of its data into it.

It is mainly used to change field properties that cannot be modified once a table is built, most notably adding a **Required** or **Required + Identifier** constraint to an attribute (see [attribute constraints](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/guides/public-cloud/data-platform/lakehouse-manager-manage-tables.md#attribute-constraints)).

![Rebuild action overview](/images/public-cloud/data-platform/product/dpe/actions/rebuild/picts/rebuild-action-overview.png)
## Why rebuild a table

Rebuilding a table has several benefits:

- **Change field properties** such as _Required_, which [cannot be done once a table is built](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/guides/public-cloud/data-platform/lakehouse-manager-manage-tables.md#attribute-constraints).
- **Restructure partitioned data.** If the table uses partitions, all data is rewritten using those partitions. Note that when partitions are added to an existing table, only new data is stored under those partitions. The Rebuild action lets you properly restructure _all_ of the data.
- **Clean metadata and storage.** All metadata and history is removed to keep a single clean version of the table. This can reduce storage and improve performance, as Iceberg optimizes the way it stores data.

:::warning
The Rebuild action removes **all of the table's history**. Once it runs, you can no longer use the [Time Travel](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/de/guides/public-cloud/data-platform/lakehouse-manager-time-travel.md) feature to roll back to a previous version. It is a fresh start.
:::

## Configure a Rebuild action

To create a new _Rebuild_ action, navigate to the _Actions_ tab of the Data Processing Engine (DPE), click on **New Action**, and select the _Rebuild_ action. Then select the table to rebuild and adjust its field configuration (required flag, identifier flag, and default value).

![Configure a Rebuild action — Rebuild config](/images/public-cloud/data-platform/product/dpe/actions/rebuild/picts/rebuild-config.png)
### Default values

When changing an attribute's property to **Required** or **Required + Identifier**, you must set a **default value**. This value replaces any NULL values found for that attribute during the rebuild, ensuring the new required constraint is satisfied.

### Keep backup table

The **Keep backup table** option keeps a backup of the previous table, _with its history_. The backup table is named with the prefix `_back_{hash}` (for example, `my_table_back_d26433d4`). You can find this name in the execution logs.

## Go further

If you need training or technical assistance to implement our solutions, contact your sales representative or click on [this link](https://www.ovhcloud.com/de/professional-services/) to get a quote and ask our Professional Services experts for a custom analysis of your project.

Ask questions, give your feedback and interact directly with the team building the Data Platform on the dedicated [Discord channel](https://discord.gg/ovhcloud).

If you need support with your OVHcloud services, create a request in our [Help Centre](https://help.ovhcloud.com/csm?id=csm_get_help).

Join our [community of users](https://community.ovhcloud.com/).