resource busy error (00054) when doing an 'alter table... add parition'

resource busy error (00054) when doing an 'alter table... add parition'

I am getting a resource busy error (00054) when doing an 'alter table... add parition'. I am adding a new parition to the table, I don't understand why this will be not permitted, even if someone else is manipalating data in the other partitions ?

SQLWKS> alter table tad.quote add partition tad_quote_data_w20001204
2> values less than ('20001211') tablespace tad_quote_data_05;
alter table tad.quote add partition tad_quote_data_w20001204
*
ORA-00054: resource busy and acquire with NOWAIT specified

If some one is updating that table, it will lock it. Find out if any one is updating. Then partition it.

I know that, but why ? I thought that partitions are supposed to be independent of each other ?

Anyone else seen this, or has any kind of reasoning behind it.

It bothers me because I cannot do this maintanence during the daytime !!!

Partition has many problems in Oracle. For example, while loading the data into partition, you can not analyze the table. The system hangs.
It is better to lock the table exclusively before adding a new partition.