rm /var/lib/mongodb/journal/prealloc.*

roles/mongodb/tasks/main.yml

@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
   tags:
     - download
 
+# See https://github.com/iiab/iiab/issues/254 for other attempts to eliminate these 256MB files
+- name: remove journal prealloc files
+  shell: rm /var/lib/mongodb/journal/prealloc.*
+  when: not mongodb_enabled
+
 - name: create the data directory for mongodb
   file: state=directory
         path={{ item.path }}
@@ -17,7 +22,6 @@
      - { path: '/library/dbdata/mongodb' }
      - { path: '/var/log/mongodb' }
 
-
 - name: Create systemd files
   template: src={{ item.src }}
             dest={{ item.dest }}
@@ -38,7 +42,6 @@
       - { name: mongodb }
   when: mongodb_enabled
 
-
 - name: disable services
   service: name={{ item.name }}
            enabled=no