Guide to PostgreSQL Table

Partitioning
Rasiksuhail · Follow
7 min read · Aug 7, 2023

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PostgreSQL is a powerful open-source relational database management
system that offers various advanced features for managing large and
complex datasets. One such feature is table partitioning, which allows you
to divide a large table into smaller, more manageable pieces called
partitions.

This guide will explore the concept of table partitioning in PostgreSQL and
discuss how it can be leveraged to improve query performance and manage data
efficiently.

What is Table Partitioning?

Table partitioning is a database design technique used to divide a large table
into smaller, more manageable chunks called partitions. Each partition is
essentially a separate table that stores a subset of the original data. This
technique can significantly improve query performance and data
management for large datasets.

Partitioning can be done based on one or more columns, such as a date

column or a range of values. For example, you can partition a table based
on the date of the records, where each partition represents data for a
specific date range. When querying the data, PostgreSQL can quickly
eliminate partitions that are not relevant to the query, resulting in faster
query execution.

Benefits of Table Partitioning

1. Improved Query Performance: Partitioning allows the database to
quickly narrow down the data to a specific partition, reducing the
 amount of data that needs to be scanned during queries. This results in
faster query execution times, especially for large datasets.

2. Easier Data Management: With table partitioning, you can easily

manage large datasets by splitting them into smaller, more manageable
partitions. This can simplify tasks such as data archiving, data purging,
and backup and restore operations.

3. Enhanced Data Loading and Indexing: When loading data into a

partitioned table, the process can be parallelized, leading to faster data
ingestion. Additionally, indexes on partitioned tables can be more
efficient, as they only need to cover a smaller subset of data.

4. Cost-Effective Storage: Partitioning allows you to store older or less

frequently accessed data on cheaper storage media, while keeping
frequently accessed data on faster storage devices.

Partitioning Methods in PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL offers various partitioning methods, including:

Range Partitioning

List Partitioning

Hash Partitioning

Lets look at each partitioning methods

Range Partitioning
Range partitioning is a type of table partitioning where data is divided into
partitions based on a specified range of values in a column. This is
particularly useful when dealing with time-series data or any data that has a
natural order. Each partition represents a distinct range of values, and data
falling within that range is stored in that partition. Range partitioning
allows for efficient retrieval of data within specific ranges, leading to
improved query performance.

Let’s consider an example of a sales table with the following structure:

CREATE TABLE sales (

sale_id SERIAL,
sale_date DATE NOT NULL,
product_id INT,
quantity INT,
amount NUMERIC,
PRIMARY KEY (sale_id, sale_date)
) PARTITION BY RANGE (sale_date);

To create a range-partitioned table for this sales data based on the sale_date
column, we need to follow these steps:

Create Partitions

We’ll create individual tables to represent each partition, each covering a

specific range of dates. For demonstration purposes, we’ll create three
partitions: “sales_january,” “sales_february,” and “sales_march.”

CREATE TABLE sales_january PARTITION OF sales

 FOR VALUES FROM ('2023-01-01') TO ('2023-02-01');

CREATE TABLE sales_february PARTITION OF sales

FOR VALUES FROM ('2023-02-01') TO ('2023-03-01');

CREATE TABLE sales_march PARTITION OF sales

FOR VALUES FROM ('2023-03-01') TO ('2023-04-01');

Set Up Constraints

We need to define constraints on each partition to ensure that data is

correctly routed to the appropriate partition. In this example, we will use
CHECK constraints on the sale_date column for each partition:

ALTER TABLE sales_january ADD CONSTRAINT sales_january_check

CHECK (sale_date >= '2023-01-01' AND sale_date < '2023-02-01');

ALTER TABLE sales_february ADD CONSTRAINT sales_february_check

CHECK (sale_date >= '2023-02-01' AND sale_date < '2023-03-01');

ALTER TABLE sales_march ADD CONSTRAINT sales_march_check

CHECK (sale_date >= '2023-03-01' AND sale_date < '2023-04-01');

Insert Data into Partitions

Now, we can insert data into the sales table, and PostgreSQL will
automatically route the data to the appropriate partition based on the
sale_date:
 INSERT INTO sales (sale_date, product_id, quantity, amount)
VALUES ('2023-01-15', 101, 5, 100.00);

INSERT INTO sales (sale_date, product_id, quantity, amount)

VALUES ('2023-02-20', 102, 10, 200.00);

INSERT INTO sales (sale_date, product_id, quantity, amount)

VALUES ('2023-03-10', 103, 8, 150.00);

Querying Data from Partitions

When querying data, PostgreSQL will automatically access only the relevant
partitions based on the WHERE clause.

-- Retrieve sales data for January

SELECT * FROM sales WHERE sale_date >= '2023-01-01' AND sale_date < '2023-02-01';

-- Retrieve sales data for February

SELECT * FROM sales WHERE sale_date >= '2023-02-01' AND sale_date < '2023-03-01';

-- Retrieve sales data for March

SELECT * FROM sales WHERE sale_date >= '2023-03-01' AND sale_date < '2023-04-01';

These queries will only access the appropriate partitions, resulting in

improved query performance.

List Partitioning in PostgreSQL

List partitioning is another type of table partitioning in PostgreSQL, where
data is divided into partitions based on specific values in a column. Unlike
range partitioning, which uses a range of values, list partitioning allows you
to define specific values for each partition. This partitioning technique is
useful when data can be categorized into distinct, non-overlapping sets.

Let’s consider an example of a products table with the following structure:

CREATE TABLE products (

product_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
category TEXT,
product_name TEXT,
price NUMERIC
) partition by list(category);

To create a list-partitioned table for this products data based on the category
column, we need to follow these steps:

Create Partitions

We’ll create individual tables to represent each partition, with each

partition covering a specific category of products. For demonstration
purposes, we’ll create three partitions: “electronics,” “clothing,” and
“furniture.”

CREATE TABLE electronics PARTITION OF products

FOR VALUES IN ('Electronics');

CREATE TABLE clothing PARTITION OF products

FOR VALUES IN ('Clothing');
 CREATE TABLE furniture PARTITION OF products
FOR VALUES IN ('Furniture');

Set Up Constraints

Since list partitioning is based on specific values, we don’t need CHECK

constraints. However, we need to set up the partitions correctly by adding
rows to the appropriate tables.

Insert Data into Partitions

Now, we can insert data into the products table, and PostgreSQL will
automatically route the data to the appropriate partition based on the
category.

INSERT INTO products (category, product_name, price)

VALUES ('Electronics', 'Smartphone', 500.00);

INSERT INTO products (category, product_name, price)

VALUES ('Clothing', 'T-Shirt', 25.00);

INSERT INTO products (category, product_name, price)

VALUES ('Furniture', 'Sofa', 800.00);

Querying Data from Partitions

When querying data, PostgreSQL will automatically access only the relevant
partition based on the WHERE clause.
 -- Retrieve electronics products
SELECT * FROM products WHERE category = 'Electronics';

-- Retrieve clothing products

SELECT * FROM products WHERE category = 'Clothing';|

-- Retrieve furniture products

SELECT * FROM products WHERE category = 'Furniture';

List partitioning in PostgreSQL is a valuable technique for managing and

querying data based on specific values in a column. By dividing data into
partitions based on categories or other distinct sets, list partitioning allows
for faster data retrieval and improved data management

Hash Partitioning in PostgreSQL

Hash partitioning is a type of table partitioning in PostgreSQL, where data is
divided into partitions based on the hash value of a specified column.
Unlike range or list partitioning, which uses specific values or ranges, hash
partitioning uses a hash function to distribute data uniformly across
partitions. This partitioning technique is useful when you want to evenly
distribute data across partitions to achieve load balancing.

Let’s consider an example of an orders table with the following structure:

CREATE TABLE orders (

order_id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
order_date DATE,
customer_id INT,
total_amount NUMERIC
) partition by hash(customer_id);
To create a hash-partitioned table for this orders data based on the
customer_id column, we need to follow these steps:

Create Partitions

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We’ll create individual tables to represent each Write
partition,Sign up
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each
partition covering a specific range of hash values. For demonstration
purposes, let’s create three partitions.

CREATE TABLE orders_1 PARTITION OF orders

FOR VALUES WITH (MODULUS 3, REMAINDER 0);

CREATE TABLE orders_2 PARTITION OF orders

FOR VALUES WITH (MODULUS 3, REMAINDER 1);

CREATE TABLE orders_3 PARTITION OF orders

FOR VALUES WITH (MODULUS 3, REMAINDER 2);

In this example, we use the HASH() function to specify that the data should
be partitioned based on the hash value of the customer_id column. We use
MODULUS and REMAINDER to specify the number of partitions (3 in this case)
and the remainder value for each partition.

Insert Data into Partitions

Now, we can insert data into the orders table, and PostgreSQL will
automatically route the data to the appropriate partition based on the hash
value of the customer_id :

INSERT INTO orders (order_date, customer_id, total_amount)

VALUES ('2023-01-15', 101, 500.00);

INSERT INTO orders (order_date, customer_id, total_amount)

VALUES ('2023-02-20', 102, 600.00);

INSERT INTO orders (order_date, customer_id, total_amount)

VALUES ('2023-03-10', 103, 700.00);

Querying Data from Partitions

When querying data, PostgreSQL will automatically access the appropriate

partition based on the hash value of the customer_id .

-- Retrieve orders for customer_id 101

SELECT * FROM orders WHERE customer_id = 101;

-- Retrieve orders for customer_id 102

SELECT * FROM orders WHERE customer_id = 102;

-- Retrieve orders for customer_id 103

SELECT * FROM orders WHERE customer_id = 103;

Hash partitioning in PostgreSQL is a useful technique for distributing data

evenly across partitions based on the hash value of a specified column. By
leveraging hash functions to uniformly distribute data, hash partitioning
achieves load balancing and improves query performance.

Partition makes querying faster.

PostgreSQL table partitioning is a powerful feature that can significantly

enhance the performance and management of large datasets. By dividing
data into smaller partitions, you can optimize query performance, simplify
data management, and achieve more efficient data loading and indexing.
When designing a partitioning strategy, consider your data and query
patterns to choose the most appropriate partitioning method. With the right
implementation, table partitioning can be a game-changer for handling
massive amounts of data in PostgreSQL.

Start Partitioning !

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