In a brief, Oracle partitioning can be a useful tool for managing large tables and improving the performance and scalability of our DB. It is important to carefully consider the specific needs and requirements before deciding whether to use partitioning, as it can add complexity to the DB design and may not be necessary in all situations.
Oracle partitioning allows you to divide a large table into smaller, more manageable pieces called partitions. It is used to improve the performance and manageability of large tables.
Here are some situations where using partitioning can be beneficial:
If our tables are large (>2GB) or that is difficult to manage or query due to its size. Partitioning can help improve the performance of queries by allowing them to run against a smaller portion of the data.
When we need to perform maintenance tasks, such as index rebuilds or data loads, on a large table. Partitioning allows us to perform these tasks on a single partition rather than the entire table, which can significantly reduce the downtime required for the maintenance.
If we need to archive or purge data from a large table. Partitioning allows us to easily remove old or unnecessary data by dropping entire partitions, rather than deleting individual rows.
When we need to improve the scalability of a large table. Partitioning allows you to spread the data across multiple servers or disks, which can improve the overall performance and scalability of the system.
When we don’t have a very large table: If your table is not very large, partitioning may not be necessary. It can add complexity to your database design and maintenance tasks, and may not provide significant performance benefits.
When we don’t have frequent queries or maintenance tasks that need to be performed on specific partitions: If you don’t need to perform frequent queries or maintenance tasks on specific partitions, the benefits of partitioning may not outweigh the added complexity.
When we don’t need to scale your system horizontally: Partitioning allows us to spread data across multiple servers or disks, which can improve the scalability of your system. If you don’t need to scale your system horizontally, partitioning may not be necessary. Also note that If our DB is on one storage system and doen not use several disks one should test the usage of partitioning for performence issues.
When we don’t have a well-defined partitioning scheme: In order to effectively use partitioning, you need to have a well-defined partitioning scheme that meets your specific needs and requirements. If we don’t have a clear idea of how to partition our data, it may be best to avoid using partitioning.