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# Add new tables to the CI database
The [pipeline data partitioning](../../architecture/blueprints/ci_data_decay/pipeline_partitioning.md)
design blueprint describes how to partition existing tables in the CI domain. However,
you still need to add tables for new features. Sometimes these tables hold
references to larger tables that need to be partitioned. To reduce future
work, all tables that use a `belongs_to` association to partitionable tables
This table is called a routing table and it does not hold any data. The
data is stored in partitions.
When creating the routing table:
- The table name must start with the `p_` prefix. There are analyzers in place to ensure that all queries go
through the routing tables and do not access the partitions directly.
- Each new table needs a `partition_id` column and its value must equal
the value from the related association. In this example, that is `ci_builds`. All resources
belonging to a pipeline share the same `partition_id` value.
- The primary key must have the columns ordered this way to allow efficient
search only by `id`.
- The foreign key constraint must include the `ON UPDATE CASCADE` option because
the `partition_id` value should be able to update it for re-balancing the
partitions.
## Create the first partition
Usually, you rely on the application to create the initial partition at boot time.
However, due to the high traffic on the CI tables and the large number of nodes,
it can be difficult to acquire a lock on the referenced table.
Consequently, during deployment, a node may fail to start.
To prevent this failure, you must ensure that the partition is already in place before
the application runs:
```ruby
disable_ddl_transaction!
def up
with_lock_retries do
connection.execute(<<~SQL)
LOCK TABLE ci_builds IN SHARE UPDATE EXCLUSIVE MODE;
LOCK TABLE ONLY p_ci_examples IN ACCESS EXCLUSIVE MODE;
SQL
connection.execute(<<~SQL)
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS gitlab_partitions_dynamic.ci_examples_100
PARTITION OF p_ci_examples
FOR VALUES IN (100);
SQL
end
end
```
Partitions are created in `gitlab_partitions_dynamic` schema.
When creating a partition, remember:
- Partition names do not use the `p_` prefix.
- The default value for `partition_id` is `100`.
## Cascade the partition value
To cascade the partition value, the module should use the `Ci::Partitionable` module:
```ruby
class Ci::Example <Ci::ApplicationRecord
include Ci::Partitionable
self.table_name = :p_ci_examples
self.primary_key = :id
belongs_to :build, class_name: 'Ci::Build'
partitionable scope: :build, partitioned: true
end
```
## Manage partitions
The model must be included in the [`PARTITIONABLE_MODELS`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/920147293ae304639915f66b260dc14e4f629850/app/models/concerns/ci/partitionable.rb#L25-44)
list because it is used to test that the `partition_id` is
propagated correctly.
If it's missing, specifying `partitioned: true` creates the first partition. The model also needs to be registered in the
