pgsql-general
❮
Issue during partition drop
- Jump to comment-1veem v<veema0000@gmail.com>Apr 30, 2026, 2:37 AM UTCHi,
We have the Aurora Postgres database. And for a table with PK-FK
relationships, we have been running into issues while dropping partitions
using partman. We have planned to detach and drop the partitions but end up
with the below error , so wanted to understand, if this is expected
behaviour and how to handle it?
ERROR: cannot drop table <tablename>p20250202 because other objects
depend on it
CONTEXT: SQL statement "DROP TABLE <tablename>p20250202"
PL/pgSQL function
droppartitiontime(text,interval,boolean,boolean,text,timestamp with time
zone) line 250 at EXECUTE
PL/pgSQL function partman.run_maintenance(text,boolean,boolean) line 336 at
assignment
DETAIL: constraint <constraintname>fkey on table <table_name> depends on
table <tablename>p20250202
Regards
Veem- Jump to comment-1Ron Johnson<ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com>Apr 30, 2026, 3:40 AM UTCOn Wed, Apr 29, 2026 at 10:37 PM veem v <veema0000@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,
Absolutely.
We have the Aurora Postgres database. And for a table with PK-FK
relationships, we have been running into issues while dropping partitions
using partman. We have planned to detach and drop the partitions but end up
with the below error , so wanted to understand, if this is expected
behaviourand how to handle it?
ERROR: cannot drop table <tablename>p20250202 because other objects
depend on it
CONTEXT: SQL statement "DROP TABLE <tablename>p20250202"
PL/pgSQL function
droppartitiontime(text,interval,boolean,boolean,text,timestamp with time
zone) line 250 at EXECUTE
PL/pgSQL function partman.run_maintenance(text,boolean,boolean) line 336
at assignmentDETAIL: constraint <constraintname>fkey on table <table_name> depends on
table <tablename>p20250202
Whoever designed your database determined that "orphaned child" records are
a bad thing. <constraintname>fkey ensures that every "child" record has
a "parent" record.
If PG allows you to drop <tablename>p20250202, then there will be
"orphaned children" in your database, but the FK means you don't want
orphaned children.
In order to drop <tablename>p20250202, you must first "dispose of" (aka
DELETE) the child records that depend on records in
<tablename>p20250202. If <constraintname>fkey points to a table that
is partitioned the same way that <tablename>p20250202 is partitioned,
then maybe you can DETACH and then DROP that table full of child records.
Only then can you drop <tablename>p20250202.
--
Death to <Redacted>, and butter sauce.
Don't boil me, I'm still alive.
<Redacted> lobster!