Partitioning
Partitioning is a data management feature that subdivides the data in data objects into smaller pieces.
Learn more about Enabling and updating partition strategies in default and custom data objects.
Learn how to configure partitions in data objects using the Oracle Unity API from the Oracle Unity Developer Help Center.
Partitioning explained
When partitioning is defined in a data object, it allows for the data to be divided according to a partition strategy. The partition strategy defines how the data in a data object is subdivided.
Partitioning is appropriate for data objects that grow in linear fashion over time and eventually store tens of millions of records.
Example: The Order data object in Oracle Unity is partitioned based on a "Date" partition strategy. Oracle Unity will divide data according to the "OrderDate" attribute and create a new partition for every month. One partition will be created for January 2021, another for February 2021, and so on.
Benefits of partitioning
The main benefit of partitioning is that it improves query performance. When Viewing data object records, you can filter your search by partitions, which reduces the time Oracle Unity needs to complete your search. Since you define specific partitions in the data object to search, Oracle Unity can skip irrelevant records and only search in the defined partitions.
Example: You follow the steps for Viewing data object records and the select the Order data object. By creating a filter based on the number of months you want to search (for example the past two months), Oracle Unity will only need to pull data from within those specific partitions (months) to complete the search.
Partitioning also allows you to more efficiently manage your data by dividing the data into smaller, more manageable units.
Enabling and updating partition strategies
You can enable and update partition strategies in default and custom data objects.
Enabling and managing partition strategies in default data objects
You can enable and manage partition strategies in default data objects before running the first publish job in your tenant. After running the first publish job in your tenant, the partition strategy in default data objects, can't be added, changed, or deleted.
To enable or review the partition strategy for a default data object before performing your first publishing job, follow the steps for Editing data objects and review the Partition strategy.
Enabling and managing partition strategies in custom data objects
You can enable and manage custom data objects before publishing changes for the data object the first time. After publishing changes for a custom data object the first time, the partition strategy can't be added, changed, or deleted.
To enable or manage the partition strategy for a custom data object, follow the steps for Creating custom data objects and review the Partition strategy.
If you haven't published changes for a custom data object the first time, you can enable or update the partition strategy by following the steps for Editing data objects and reviewing the Partition strategy.
Partition strategy in Oracle Unity data objects
Partitions are based on attributes with a Date data type for objects such as Event, Order, and Order Item.
Keep in the mind the following for partition strategies in Oracle Unity:
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The partition strategy is based on Date.
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The partition strategy defines how partitions will be dynamically created.
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A specific attribute will be created (for example OrderDate) that will be used to filter data based on the "Date" strategy.
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The format of the strategy controls the size of the partitions. The two available formats in Oracle Unity are yyyyMM and yyyy, which create monthly and yearly partitions respectively.