Partition management system

1. A partition management system for a database comprising:

at least one database table comprising a plurality of first partitions of said database table, each of said first partitions having an assigned consecutive sequence number indicative of consecutive parameters of data to be allocated to respective first partition; and a partition controller formed from electrical circuitry and configured

to generate a status parameter being indicative of the estimated time until all existing first partitions have been filled,

to update the status parameter based at least in part on monitoring a rate of filling said first partitions;

to automatically create a number of second partitions in said database table, said second partitions operable to allocate a different amount of data than said first table partitions,

to determine the number of said second partitions to be created based on

i) the time that the last of said first partitions was created,

ii) the number of said first partitions that are yet to be filled, and

iii) a current value of said status parameter

to assign to each of said second partitions a consecutive sequence number indicative of consecutive parameters of data to be allocated to respective second partition, and

to make a sequence number of a given second partition available prior to when said sequence number of the given second partition is required by the database to allocate data corresponding to said sequence number of the given second partition.

2. A partition management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first partitions created based on a plurality of parameters, the plurality comprises defined partition creation criteria.

3. A partition management system as claimed in claim 2 , and wherein the partition creation criteria are modifiable by a user.

4. A partition management system as claimed in claim 2 , and wherein the partition creation criteria includes a time schedule defining when partitions are created.

5. A partition management system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the time schedule is once per day.

6. A partition management system as claimed in claim 2 , and wherein the partition controller is further configured to modify partition creation criteria so that said second partition is created if all existing table partitions are likely filled before the next scheduled time.

7. A partition management system as claimed in claim 2 , and wherein the partition creation criteria comprise data indicative of how far in advance to create partitions.

8. A partition management system as claimed in claim 2 , and wherein the partition creation criteria comprise data indicative of how many partitions to create in advance.

9. A partition management system as claimed in claim 2 , and wherein the partition creation criteria comprise an interval parameter indicative of a time range to cover by a said second partition.

10. A partition management system as claimed in claim 2 , and wherein the partition controller is further configured to monitor database performance and to modify the partition creation criteria when reduced database performance is identified so that additional partitions are created.

11. A partition management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said created second partition includes an associated data range governing data receivable in the second partition.

12. A partition management system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the data range comprises a time range.

13. A partition management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the partition controller is further configured to create a default third partition to hold any data falling outside the data ranges defined for currently existing partitions.

14. A partition management system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the partition controller is further configured to automatically delete partitions according to defined partition deletion criteria.

15. A partition management system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the defined partition deletion criteria comprise a retention interval parameter indicative of how long to retain a partition prior to deletion.

16. A partition management system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the partition deletion criteria are modifiable by a user.

17. A method of partitioning a database using a partition management system having a partition controller formed from electrical circuitry and at least one database table comprising a plurality of first partitions of said database table, each of said first partitions having an assigned consecutive sequence number indicative of consecutive parameters of data to be allocated to respective first partition, the method comprising:

generating, by the partition controller, a status parameter being indicative of the estimated time until all existing first partitions have been filled;

updating, by the partition controller, the status parameter based at least in part on monitoring a rate of filing said first partitions;

automatically creating by the partition controller a number of second partitions operable to allocate a different amount of data than said first table partitions

wherein the number of said second partitions to be created is determined by the partition controller based on the time that the last of said first partitions was created, the number of said first partitions that are yet to be filled and a current value of said status parameter;

assigning to each of said second partitions in said database table a consecutive sequence number indicative of consecutive parameters of data to be allocated to respective second partition; and

making a sequence number of a given second partition available prior to when said sequence number of the given second partition is required by the database to allocate data corresponding to said sequence number of the given second partition.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 , and wherein said first partitions created based on a plurality of parameters, the plurality comprising defined partition creation criteria.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and further comprising facilitating said modification of the partition creation criteria by a user.

20. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and further comprising creating said at least one second partition according to a time schedule.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 , and further comprising creating said at least one second partition once per day.

22. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and further comprising modifying partition creation criteria so that said at least one second partition is created if all existing partitions are likely filled before the next scheduled time.

23. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and wherein the partition creation criteria comprises data indicative of how far in advance to create partitions.

24. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and wherein the partition creation criteria comprises data indicative of how many partitions to create in advance.

25. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and wherein the partition creation criteria comprises an interval parameter indicative of a time range to cover by a said second partition.

26. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and further comprising monitoring database performance and modifying partition creation criteria when reduced database performance is identified so that additional partitions are created.

27. A method as claimed in claim 18 , and wherein each created partition includes an associated data range governing data which is receivable in the partition.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 , and wherein the data range comprises a time range.

29. A method as claimed in claim 17 , and further comprising creating a default partition to hold any data falling outside the data ranges defined for currently existing partitions.

30. A method as claimed in claim 17 , and further comprising automatically deleting partitions according to defined partition deletion criteria.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30 , and wherein the defined partition deletion criteria comprises a retention interval parameter indicative of how long to retain a partition prior to deletion.

32. A method as claimed in claim 30 , and further comprising facilitating said modification of the partition deletion criteria by a user.