in most RDBMS it would be better to have fewer larger tables. you could use its internal partitioning if it has one. one problem you'll run into with many small

in most RDBMS it would be better to have fewer larger tables. you could use its internal partitioning if it has one. one problem you'll run into with many small tables is stuff like 'open_tables' limit (mysql) and that the cache efficiency declines. stick with built-in partitioning/sharding to avoid trouble.