Oracle 8i Database with 18,000 Partitions

First of all, I am not an Oracle DBA. Secondly, this DB design is not my idea - so bashing the messager is not required (I'm just the poor sap that has to make the application around the database work!).

I have a third party vendor who is pushing a customer database design that will contain over 15,000 partitions. Basically, each customer will have a partition with approximately 30,000 - 50,000 records. The partitions can be restored on a very regular basis (100 - 200 customers per day possible). So, I have a few questions as to the feasibility of this design:
1. What are the performance impacts of this many partitions? I have read numerous discussions about as many as 4,000 partitions and the general consensus was: you can do it, but you better be very,very good and careful.
2. Is Oracle even designed to handle this volume of restores (100-200 per day)? What are the pitfalls (maintainance???) to supporting this many restores.
3. If the answers to the questions above lead to the point that this system can be made to work, what level of DBA do I need to 1)Create the database and stored procedures and 2) Maintain this monster of a system once it is turned over.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Received on Mon Nov 11 2002 - 11:55:01 CST