In a previous article I showed a basic example of Partition Switching, using animal names (http://wp.me/p3Vxvi-2u). While not a realistic example for everyday use it did get the principles across. However, certainly in my experience, partitioning is normally dependent upon a number – usually a date.
In this article I’ll create a partition process that is used to keep data for three days (based upon a date within the row) and then remove the data automatically, via a job.
Firstly I require a database for this demonstration.
CREATE DATABASE PartitionTest; GO
Now I need a Partition Function. Because there can only ever be 3 possible values with this calculation, I can be a little lazy and just specify two of the values. If I just write the function for values of 1 and 2, then 3 will always go into the third partition, normally used for ‘invalid’ value ranges. I can’t have any invalid values (provided it has been coded and tested properly), so use the third partition for the ‘normal’ work instead of out-of-range values.
CREATE PARTITION FUNCTION [pf_Retention](tinyint) AS RANGE LEFT FOR VALUES (1, 2) GO
The associated Partition Scheme will have three partitions. Values of 1 will go to the first in the list, values of 2 will go to the second in the list and all others will go to the third. There are only ever going to be three values for this example, so I won’t worry about a fourth for invalid values.
CREATE PARTITION SCHEME [ps_Retention] AS PARTITION [pf_Retention] TO ([PRIMARY], [PRIMARY], [PRIMARY]) GO
Having created these I can now create the table that will use this partition Scheme:
CREATE TABLE UserAccess(
UserAccessID INT IDENTITY(1,1),
UserID INT,
LoginDateTime DATETIME,
LogoutDateTime DATETIME,
PartitionNumber AS (CONVERT([tinyint],abs(datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),LogoutDateTime)%(3)+(1)),(0))) PERSISTED NOT NULL,
CONSTRAINT [PK_Petdetails] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED
(
UserAccessID ASC,
PartitionNumber ASC
) WITH (IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON, DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE) ON ps_Retention(PartitionNumber)
) ON ps_Retention(PartitionNumber) ;
GO
CREATE TABLE UserAccess_PartitionSwitch(
UserAccessID INT IDENTITY(1,1),
UserID INT,
LoginDateTime DATETIME,
LogoutDateTime DATETIME,
PartitionNumber AS (CONVERT([tinyint],abs(datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),LogoutDateTime)%(3)+(1)),(0))) PERSISTED NOT NULL,
CONSTRAINT [PK_Petdetails_PartitionSwitch] PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED
(
UserAccessID ASC,
PartitionNumber ASC
) WITH (IGNORE_DUP_KEY = OFF, ALLOW_ROW_LOCKS = ON, ALLOW_PAGE_LOCKS = ON, DATA_COMPRESSION = PAGE) ON ps_Retention(PartitionNumber)
) ON ps_Retention(PartitionNumber) ;
GO
Notice that the PartitionNumber column is a calculated, persisted column. This value is based upon the LogoutDatetime, so will be kept for three days from that Datetime value.
At first glance the calculation for the Partition Number can look confusing:
(CONVERT([tinyint],abs(datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),LogoutDateTime)%(3)+(1)),(0)))
So let’s start with the basics and build up from there. Substitute the ‘LogoutDateTime’ with an ISO standard date, to help show what is happening.
Using a Base Date (in this case the 1st of January 2000) calculate the number of days between then and 20150310. Of course you need to set a Base date that you will suit your purposes. In this case should I ever have a date in 1999 or earlier then it will not work as expected.
The 112 enforces ISO standard date formatting:
SELECT datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),'20150310') --112 is ISO standard, to avoid any confusion
As I’m using a 3 day retention scheme, use a modulo of 3, which will result in 0, 1 or 2. The abs function is just there to ensure no negative values, an unlikely event for this example:
SELECT abs(datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),'20150310')%(3))
Because a Partition number of 0 is invalid add 1, so making the only possible values 1, 2 or 3:
SELECT abs(datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),'20150310')%(3)+(1))
As it is such a small number, convert it to a TinyInt:
SELECT (CONVERT([tinyint],abs(datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),'20150310')%(3)+(1)),(0)))
To make sure the partition function is working, add a few rows of test data:
USE [PartitionTest]
GO
INSERT INTO [dbo].[UserAccess]
([UserID]
,[LoginDateTime]
,[LogoutDateTime])
VALUES (1
,'20150308 01:00:00'
,'20150308 02:00:00'),
(2
,'20150309 01:00:00'
,'20150309 02:00:00'),
(3
,'20150310 01:00:00'
,'20150310 02:00:00'),
(4
,'20150311 01:00:00'
,'20150311 02:00:00'),
(5
,'20150312 01:00:00'
,'20150312 02:00:00'),
(6
,'20150313 01:00:00'
,'20150313 02:00:00'),
(7
,'20150314 01:00:00'
,'20150314 02:00:00')
And then check the result – look at the table contents and at how the data is spread across the actual partitions:
From these result it can be shown that the PartitionNumber column is never outside of the range 1, 2, 3 and the partitions themselves match the data spread indicated by the value of PartitionID.
Now to test that the Partition Switching will actually work – ensuring that the two tables have been set up correctly:
The three rows in Partition 2 have been moved to the Partition_Switch table.
So, I know that the structure of the tables is correct and that we can switch partitions. The next step is to create a routine that will perform this action automatically.
Our table is designed to keep data for three days, and to do this successfully we need to make sure that the next partition we are going to need (tomorrow’s partition) is empty before that day starts. So just before midnight we need to remove the data that is about to become four days old.
A Stored Procedure is now required – ‘dbo.Purge_Table’, which ascertains the partition number that is now three days old and purges it (after some checks to make sure it should), because that will be the partition required tomorrow.
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[Purge_Table] AS
SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE @DaysToKeep TINYINT,
@PurgePartition TINYINT,
@TotalPartitions TINYINT,
@Today DATETIME,
@MaxDateInPartition DATETIME,
@DateToPurge DATETIME,
@SQLCode VARCHAR(500)
SET @TotalPartitions = 3;
SET @DaysToKeep = 2;
SET @Today = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
SET @DateToPurge = DATEADD (dd, (@DaysToKeep * -1), @Today) --Includes today. We keep today, we keep yesterday but the day before yesterday needs to go
SET @PurgePartition = 0
SET @PurgePartition = (CONVERT(tinyint,ABS(datediff(day,CONVERT([date],'20000101',(112)),@DateToPurge)%(@TotalPartitions)+(1)),(0))) --Same formula as used within the table, but
--using the @DateToPurge, to find what partition
--that date will be in.
SET @PurgePartition = $Partition.pf_Retention (@PurgePartition)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---- PURGE TABLE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Get the latest LogOutDateTime from the partition that is going to be purged.
SELECT @MaxDateInPartition = MAX (LogOutDateTime)
FROM dbo.UserAccess
WHERE $Partition.pf_Retention (PartitionNumber) = @PurgePartition
IF EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM dbo.UserAccess
WHERE PartitionNumber = @PurgePartition) --Check there is data for this partition
BEGIN
IF DATEDIFF (dd, @MaxDateInPartition, @Today) >= @DaysToKeep OR @MaxDateInPartition IS NULL --Check the date within this partition is old enough to be removed
BEGIN
SELECT @SQLCode = 'ALTER TABLE dbo.UserAccess SWITCH PARTITION ' +
CAST (@PurgePartition AS varchar) +
' TO dbo.UserAccess_PartitionSwitch PARTITION ' +
CAST (@PurgePartition AS varchar)
EXEC (@SQLCode)
TRUNCATE TABLE dbo.UserAccess_PartitionSwitch --Having switched the data over, remove it
RAISERROR ('The dbo.UserAccess Table has been successfully Purged.', 10, 1)
END
ELSE
RAISERROR ('OPERATION CANCELLED. Incorrect Data would be purged from dbo.UserAccess',16, 1)
END
ELSE
RAISERROR ('dbo.UserAccess - partition has no data', 10, 1)
GO
Having cleared the table (and PartitionSwitch table) I input three rows, with today, yesterday and the day before as the logOutDateTime:
Now execute the Stored Procedure and the row in partition 2 should be switched to the PartitionSwitch table and removed (based on the execution date of 20150316).
Now all that is required is a scheduled job that executes this Stored Procedure at the end of each day, ensuring there is always an empty partition available for the next day and any data older than is required is no longer stored.
Notes on SQL 