Partition Syntax Support in PPAS 9.1

In Series of New Features in Advanced Server 9.1, today I tought to write about Parition Table Syntax Supported in PPAS 9.1. In PostgreSQL and till PPAS 9.0, user has to follow method given below for partitioning a table:
1. CREATE PARENT Table,
2. Create Child tables using Inherit feature
3. Create Trigger on Parent table, so that trigger can re-direct insert to Right Partition.
4. And if user has to add new child table, then it has to do 2 and 3 steps again.

Now, in PPAS 9.0, user doesn’t have to perform above activities. PPAS 9.1 supports PARTITION TABLE syntax.

Lets see how PARTITION syntax in PPAS can make users/DBAs life easier.

We know that PPAS/PostgreSQL supports two types of partition (Range and List). So, we will see how its simple with CREATE PARTITION SYNTAX.
Lets CREATE RANGE PARTITION as we used to do in PPAS 9.0/PostgreSQL
1. Create Master table as given below:

CREATE TABLE partition_master(id numeric primary key,val text);
CREATE TABLE partition_child1(CHECK (id > 0 and id <=10)) inherits(partition_master);
CREATE TABLE partition_child2(CHECK (id >10 and id <=20)) inherits(partition_master);

2. Then create check constraints on Both Child tables

alter table partition_child1 add primary key (id);
alter table partition_child2 add primary key (id);

3. Create Trigger, which redirect Inserts to correct child table:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION part_trig_insrt() RETURNS trigger
AS
$$
BEGIN
   IF TG_OP='INSERT' THEN
      IF NEW.id >0 and NEW.id <=10 THEN
           INSERT INTO partition_child1 VALUES(NEW.*);
      ELSIF NEW.id >10 and NEW.id <=20 THEN
           INSERT INTO partition_child2 VALUES(NEW.*);
      ELSE
          RAISE 'inserted partition key doesnt map to any partition';      
     END IF;
  END IF;
END;
$$ language plpgsql;
CREATE TRIGGER partition_trig_insert BEFORE INSERT ON partition_master FOR EACH ROW execute procedure part_trig_insrt();

similarly, you have to write trigger which can handle partition key update.

And whenever user wants to add new partition, he has to update the trigger function and create new partition table etc.

Now, in 9.1AS on-wards, user can run single command for partition and PPAS will take care of all things, as given below:

CREATE TABLE partition_master (id numeric primary key,val text)
PARTITION BY RANGE(id)
(PARTITION partition_child1 VALUES LESS THAN (11),
PARTITION partition_child2 VALUES LESS THAN (21));

edb=# insert into partition_master values(1,'First');
INSERT 0 0
edb=# insert into partition_master values(11,'Eleventh');
INSERT 0 0
edb=# select * from partition_master;
 id |   val    
----+----------
  1 | First
 11 | Eleventh
(2 rows)

edb=# select * from only partition_master_partition_child1;
 id |  val  
----+-------
  1 | First
(1 row)

edb=# select * from partition_master_partition_child2;
 id |   val    
----+----------
 11 | Eleventh
(1 row)

That was easy. With single command you can have your partition table in PPAS.

Suppose later, user wants to add one more partition then he can execute following single command:

ALTER TABLE partition_master add partition partition_child3 VALUES LESS THAN (31);

edb=# insert into partition_master values(30,'Thirty');
INSERT 0 0
edb=# select * from partition_master;
 id |   val    
----+----------
  1 | First
 11 | Eleventh
 30 | Thirty
(3 rows)

edb=# select * from partition_master_partition_child3;
 id |  val   
----+--------
 30 | Thirty
(1 row)

Thats simple. isn’t?

With this PPAS 9.1 Partition Syntax also allows swaping an existing table with a partition or subpartition, as given below:

CREATE TABLE single_table (id numeric primary key,val text)
insert into single_master select generate_series(1,10);
INSERT 0 10

ALTER TABLE partition_master 
EXCHANGE PARTITION partition_child1
WITH TABLE single_table;

Other syntax which are supported is given below:

1.  ALTER TABLE… ADD PARTITION
2.  ALTER TABLE… ADD SUBPARTITION
3.  ALTER TABLE… DROP PARTITION
4.  ALTER TABLE… DROP SUBPARTITION
5.  ALTER TABLE… SPLIT PARTITION
6.  ALTER TABLE… SPLIT SUBPARTITION
7.  ALTER TABLE… TRUNCATE PARTITION
8.  ALTER TABLE… TRUNCATE SUBPARTITION
9.  ALTER TABLE… EXCHANGE PARTITION
10. ALTER TABLE… MOVE PARTITION
11. ALTER TABLE… RENAME PARTITION

Support of above partition syntaxes have really made management of partition table easier in PPAS 9.1!