Update question in a large database with partitions

Question

Hello All!
Please help me in the following issue; I'm given a database that has partitions from 0 to 63. In each partition there can be 0 to any number of a given field like "NAME" (this may the primary key I think).
How can I update a field in a row corresponding to a "NAME" at a given partition range, if I don't know which NAME belongs to which partition.
Problems: there are around a million of this NAME field and the fastest method is only acceptable. I think I make an update command with a logical condition with a partition range (x<partition<y) and has a where clause like this:
NAME like value1 or like value2.... or like value(10^6) (here I enumerate all of the NAME field) : is it a good way?
How much is the longest where statement that can be given as a query to a database?
Or is it another way to do it?
Thank you for your kind help in advance,
Balage

Answer 1

I have a list that contains the NAMES, like:
110
111
112
113
The table is the following
NAME OLD PART
110 0 23
111 1 23
112 1 56
The NAME list is in a txt file, the OLD field should be updated according to the NAMES, and I'm writing a perl script to do the job. A thread is given a partition (PART) interval. Like the first thread works on
the PART numbers from 1 to 3... the 2nd is on from 4 to 6.. etc.
The problem is, that the NAME list is huge and I don't know which NAMEs are in a
given PART interval.
I thought this command will do the job:
UPDATE table SET old = new where 1<= part <=3 AND name LIKE 110 OR LIKE 111 OR LIKE... stc
how long can be the where clause after "name LIKE" as I have plenty of NAME records?
Hope you can understand it, sorry for my bad English,
regards,
Balage