Partitioning fact tables in an analytics system

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to:

partition data in a first database table into a plurality of table partitions representing corresponding individual time periods;

receive a designated time interval via a user interface;

generate a database view based on a subset of the plurality of table partitions,

wherein the generated database view represents a current time period having a length based on the received designated time interval; and

upon expiration of the received designated time interval:

determine the current time period;

if a table partition does not exist in the plurality of table partitions for a next time period immediately subsequent to the determined current time period, generate a new table partition for the next time period, wherein a length of the next time period is based upon the received designated time interval; and

adjust the generated database view, wherein the adjusted database view represents the next time period and includes the new table partition.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the designated time interval is a month.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a record for each of the plurality of table partitions is stored in a second database table.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein table partitions that are not used for the database view are backed-up.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein only one table partition in the plurality of table partitions is an active, currently writeable table partition.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein other table partitions in the plurality of table partitions are read only.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein upon expiration of the designed time interval, the new table partition is made the active, currently writeable table partition.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the current time period comprises one or more of the individual time periods corresponding to the one or more partitions, and the next time period comprises one of the individual time periods corresponding to the new table partition.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the database view includes one or more partitions from the subset of the plurality of table partitions.

10. A method comprising:

partitioning, by a computer system, data in a first database table into a plurality of table partitions representing corresponding individual time periods;

receiving a designated time interval via a user interface;

generating, by the computer system, a database view based on a subset of the plurality of table partitions,

wherein the generated database view represents a current time period having a length based on the received designated time interval; and

upon expiration of the received designated time interval:

determining, by the computer system, a current time period;

if a table partition does not exist in the plurality of table partitions for a next time period immediately subsequent to the determined current time period, generating, by the computer system, a new table partition for the next time period, wherein a length of the next time period is based upon the received designated time interval; and

adjusting, by the computer system, the generated database view, wherein the adjusted database view represents the next time period and includes the new table partition.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the designated time interval is a month.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein a record for each of the plurality of table partitions is stored in a second database table.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein table partitions that are not used for the database view are backed-up.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein only one table partition in the plurality of table partitions is an active, currently writeable table partition.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein other table partitions in the plurality of table partitions are read only.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein upon expiration of the designated time interval, the new table partition is made the active, currently writeable table partition.

17. A machine readable storage medium having stored thereon program code executable by a computer system, the program code comprising:

code that causes the computer system to partition data in a first database table into a plurality of table partitions representing corresponding individual time period;

code that causes the computer system to receive a designated time interval via a user interface;

code that causes the computer system to generate a database view based on a subset of the plurality of table partitions,

wherein the generated database view represents a current time period having a length based on the received designated time interval; and

code that upon expiration of the received designated time interval:

causes the computer system to determine a current time period;

causes the computer system to generate a new table partition for the next time period if a table partition does not exist in the plurality of table partitions for a next time period immediately subsequent to the current time period, wherein a length of the next time period is based upon the received designated time interval; and

code that causes the computer system to adjust the database view, wherein the adjusted database view represents the next time period and includes the new table partition.

18. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the designated time interval is a month.

19. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a record for each of the plurality of table partitions is stored in a second database table.

20. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein table partitions that are not used for the database view are backed-up.

21. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein only one table partition in the plurality of table partitions is an active, currently writeable table partition.

22. The machine readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein other table partitions in the plurality of table partitions are read only.

23. The machine readable storage medium of claim 21 , wherein upon expiration of the designated time interval, the new table partition is made the active, currently writeable table partition.