Partitioning data

Given a default of 8,000 blocks, PostgreSQL can store up to 32 TB of data inside a single table. If you compile PostgreSQL with 32,000 blocks, you can even put up to 128 TB into a single table. However, large tables such as this aren’t necessarily convenient anymore, and it can make sense to partition tables to make processing easier and, in some cases, a bit faster. Starting from version 10.0, PostgreSQL offers improved partitioning, which offers end users significantly easier handling of data partitioning.

In this chapter, the old means of partitioning, as well as the new features that are available as of PostgreSQL 13.0, will be covered. As we speak, features in partitioning are added in all areas so that people can expect more and better partitioning in all future versions of PostgreSQL. The first thing you will learn is how to work with classical PostgreSQL inheritance.

Creating inherited tables

First, we will take a closer look at the outdated...