<p>MySQL throws ER_TOO_MANY_PARTITIONS_ERROR when a CREATE or ALTER TABLE statement defines more than the permitted 1024 partitions or subpartitions.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1499 ER_TOO_MANY_PARTITIONS_ERROR occurs when a table definition exceeds the 1024-partition limit. Reduce the total number of partitions or merge them into larger ranges to resolve the issue.</p>
Too many partitions (including subpartitions) were
Error 1499 fires when a CREATE TABLE or ALTER TABLE command specifies more than 1024 partitions, including any subpartitions. MySQL halts execution and returns ER_TOO_MANY_PARTITIONS_ERROR to protect metadata structures that cannot scale beyond this hard limit.
The error appears on partitioned tables that use HASH, KEY, RANGE, or LIST schemes. Developers often encounter it after programmatically generating hundreds of date or ID partitions.
The primary cause is exceeding MySQL’s hard cap of 1024 partitions. This cap counts every subpartition, so a table with eight partitions each subdivided into 200 subpartitions also violates the limit.
Additional triggers include version mismatches where the server accepts a statement generated for another engine or an ALTER TABLE script that adds partitions in a loop.
The fastest fix is to reduce the partition count below 1024. Combine small partitions into larger time ranges, drop redundant subpartitions, or switch to RANGE COLUMNS with wider intervals.
You can also migrate hot data to separate tables or use generated columns for filtering, eliminating the need for thousands of partitions.
Daily-partitioned log tables often hit the limit after three years. Consolidating daily partitions into monthly partitions instantly drops the count to 36 and removes the error.
ETL automation that loops through ADD PARTITION statements can push a table over the edge. Refactor the job to create partitions in batches and stop at 1024.
Design partition schemes up front. Forecast data growth to ensure the table stays under 1024 partitions for its lifetime.
Monitor INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PARTITIONS to track partition counts. Set up alerts in Galaxy or another SQL editor when counts approach 900 so you can consolidate early.
Error 1497 ER_PARTITION_MAXVALUE_MUST_BE_MAXVALUE appears when RANGE partition values are not ascending. Fix by ordering partitions correctly.
Error 1504 ER_PARTITION_SUBPARTITION_ERROR signals invalid subpartition definitions. Review syntax and ensure matching number of subpartitions across partitions.
The table definition simply requests more than the hard maximum of 1024 partitions or subpartitions allowed in MySQL 5.7 and 8.0.
Scheduled jobs that add a new partition daily without purging old ones eventually push the total over the limit.
Using both partitions and subpartitions multiplies the count quickly, making the limit easier to hit than expected.
Dumping a table from another database system and loading it into MySQL without adjusting partition counts can breach the cap.
Occurs when RANGE partitions are not terminated with a MAXVALUE partition. Reorder or add a MAXVALUE partition.
Indicates inconsistent subpartition definitions. Ensure each partition has the same number and type of subpartitions.
Raised when partition boundary values overlap or are out of order. Correct boundary ranges to resolve.
No. The limit is hard coded in MySQL source and cannot be changed at runtime.
Yes. Every subpartition is counted, so eight partitions with 128 subpartitions each already exceed the limit.
Yes. Splitting data across multiple tables or databases avoids the single-table partition cap.
Galaxy’s editor highlights partition counts in real time and warns you before a statement breaches the 1024 threshold, preventing the error during development.
.avif)
.avif){kind=logo}
