Sharing patterns across rotated logs can reuse a dictionary, but it also changes what must be retained for restoration. An archive that depends on patterns.pz needs that dictionary available when it is decoded.
PIZD supports standalone archives and an explicit local pattern database. Compare both on a small log series before selecting an archival workflow.
Check the version and available commands
pizd --version pizd compress --help pizd pattern-db analyze --help The commands below were checked locally on source candidate 6.0.0-rc8, which is unpublished. Confirm support in the exact binary you intend to use; do not assume the public download contains every source-candidate feature.
Create and restore an independent archive
pizd compress chunk1.log --standalone --offline --thin -o chunk1.standalone.pizd pizd decompress chunk1.standalone.pizd --offline -o chunk1.standalone.restored.log cmp chunk1.log chunk1.standalone.restored.log Test the shared-dictionary boundary
Use copies of non-sensitive logs and keep outputs in a dedicated test directory:
pizd compress chunk1.log --offline --pattern-db patterns.pz -o chunk1.shared.pizd --verbose pizd compress chunk2.log --offline --pattern-db patterns.pz -o chunk2.shared.pizd --verbose pizd decompress chunk2.shared.pizd --offline --pattern-db patterns.pz -o chunk2.shared.restored.log cmp chunk2.log chunk2.shared.restored.log pizd pattern-db analyze --db patterns.pz --limit 20 The analyzer reads the dictionary and verifies its stored pattern signatures. It does not replace restoring and comparing each archive to its source.
Count everything retained
For the shared mode, count all archives plus the dictionary needed to restore them. Compare that sum with the standalone archives. Record encode/decode time and the PIZD version as well. A reused motif does not by itself prove a smaller total or a faster run.
Keep a verified copy of the dictionary alongside dependent archives. If independent restores matter more than cross-file reuse, test standalone mode first. Retain a compatible decoder and perform restore checks before discarding any original input.
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