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MySQL 5.1 Reference Manual :: 18 Partitioning :: 18.5 Restrictions and Limitations on Partitioning :: 18.5.2 Partitioning Limitations Relating to Storage Engines
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18.5.2. Partitioning Limitations Relating to Storage Engines

The following limitations apply to the use of storage engines with user-defined partitioning of tables.

MERGE storage engine.  User-defined partitioning and the MERGE storage engine are not compatible. Tables using the MERGE storage engine cannot be partitioned. Partitioned tables cannot be merged.

FEDERATED storage engine.  Partitioning of FEDERATED tables is not supported. Beginning with MySQL 5.1.15, it is not possible to create partitioned FEDERATED tables at all. We are working to remove this limitation in a future MySQL release.

CSV storage engine.  Partitioned tables using the CSV storage engine are not supported. Starting with MySQL 5.1.12, it is not possible to create partitioned CSV tables at all.

BLACKHOLE storage engine.  Prior to MySQL 5.1.6, tables using the BLACKHOLE storage engine also could not be partitioned.

NDBCLUSTER storage engine (MySQL Cluster).  Partitioning by KEY (or LINEAR KEY) is the only type of partitioning supported for the NDBCLUSTER storage engine. Beginning with MySQL 5.1.12, it is not possible to create a MySQL Cluster table using any partitioning type other than [LINEAR] KEY, and attempting to do so fails with an error.

In addition, the maximum number of partitions that can be defined for an NDBCLUSTER table is 8 times the number of node groups in the cluster. (See Section 17.1.2, “MySQL Cluster Nodes, Node Groups, Replicas, and Partitions”, for more information about node groups in MySQL Cluster.)

Beginning with MySQL Cluster NDB 6.2.18, MySQL Cluster NDB 6.3.25, and MySQL Cluster NDB 7.0.6, CREATE TABLE and ALTER TABLE statements that would cause a user-partitioned NDBCLUSTER table not to meet either or both of the following two requirements are disallowed, and fail with an error (Bug#40709):

  1. The table must have an explicit primary key.

  2. All columns listed in the table's partitioning expression must be part of the primary key.

Exception.  If a user-partitioned NDBCLUSTER table is created using an empty column-list (that is, using PARTITION BY KEY() or PARTITION BY LINEAR KEY()), then no explicit primary key is required.

Upgrading partitioned tables.  When performing an upgrade, tables which are partitioned by KEY and which use any storage engine other than NDBCLUSTER must be dumped and reloaded.

Same storage engine for all partitions.  All partitions of a partitioned table must use the same storage engine and it must be the same storage engine used by the table as a whole. In addition, if one does not specify an engine on the table level, then one must do either of the following when creating or altering a partitioned table:

  • Do not specify any engine for any partition or subpartition

  • Specify the engine for all partitions or subpartitions

We are working to remove this limitation in a future MySQL release.