Partitioned Tables and Indexes in SQL Server 2005

Partitioned Tables and Indexes in SQL Server 2005
reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms345146(SQL.90).aspx

This article is simple abstract of what has to be done. If you've a scenario wherein you need to partition a large table Orders based on for instance order date (datetime datatype). We can either partitioned the table for each month, Quarter or Half yearly depending on what is expected requirement.
Step1
-- add filegroup to the database
-- first filegroup
ALTER DATABASE TestPart ADD FILEGROUP [2007HY1]
-- second filegroup
ALTER DATABASE TestPart ADD FILEGROUP [2007HY2]

Step 2
-- add files to the filegroup
-- add first file to the file group
ALTER DATABASE TestPart
ADD FILE
(NAME = N'2007HY1',
FILENAME = N'C:\TestPart\2007HY1.ndf',
SIZE = 5 MB,
FILEGROWTH = 20%)
TO FILEGROUP [2007HY1]
-- add second file to the file group
ALTER DATABASE TestPart
ADD FILE
(NAME = N'2007HY2',
FILENAME = N'C:\TestPart\2007HY2.ndf',
SIZE = 5 MB,
FILEGROWTH = 20%)
TO FILEGROUP [2007HY2]
Step 3
-- Partition Function
CREATE PARTITION FUNCTION OrderDateRangePFN_HY (datetime)
AS
RANGE LEFT FOR VALUES ('20070630 23:59:59:997',
'20071231 23:59:59:997')

Step 4
-- Partition Scheme
CREATE PARTITION SCHEME OrderDatePScheme_HY
AS
PARTITION OrderDateRangePFN_HY
TO ([2007HY1], [2007HY2], [PRIMARY])

Step 5
-- Create Partitioned Table
CREATE TABLE OrderRange_HY
(
OrderID int NOT NULL,
OrderDate datetime NOT NULL
)
ON OrderDatePScheme_HY (OrderDate)
GO

-- Converting Unpartitioned table to Partitioned Table
CREATE INDEX OrderPart_INX
ON OrderRange_HY_Existing (OrderDate) -- this is an existing table
ON OrderDatePScheme_HY (OrderDate)
GO

Using Partitions in a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Data Warehouse: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa902650(SQL.80).aspx