SQL-запрос для получения N элементов таблицы с повторяющимися данными

Это позволит получить строки из первых 3-х активов без использования самостоятельного объединения:

SQL Fiddle

MySQL 5.6 Настройка схемы:

CREATE TABLE table_name (
  Name      VARCHAR(20),
  SomeData  VARCHAR(20),
  MoreStuff VARCHAR(20)
);


INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset4', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset5', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset2', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset3', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset1', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset3', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset2', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset1', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset1', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset3', 'I need this', 'And also this' );
INSERT INTO table_name VALUES ( 'asset5', 'I need this', 'And also this' );

Запрос 1:

SELECT Name, SomeData, MoreStuff
FROM   (
  SELECT @asset_num := IF( @prev_name = t.name, @asset_num, @asset_num + 1 ) AS an,
         t.*,
         @prev_name := Name
  FROM   table_name t
         CROSS JOIN
         ( SELECT @prev_name := '', @asset_num := 0 ) r
  ORDER BY Name
) t
WHERE an <= 3

Результаты:

|   Name |    SomeData |     MoreStuff |
|--------|-------------|---------------|
| asset1 | I need this | And also this |
| asset1 | I need this | And also this |
| asset1 | I need this | And also this |
| asset2 | I need this | And also this |
| asset2 | I need this | And also this |
| asset3 | I need this | And also this |
| asset3 | I need this | And also this |
| asset3 | I need this | And also this |

Попробуй это:

select *
from TABLE
where Name in (
    select distinct Name 
    from TABLE
    limit 3
)

Это даст вам максимум 3 строки для каждого актива. Вы можете изменить 3 на любое число, тогда вы получите столько строк для каждого актива.

SELECT Name, SomeData, MoreStuff
FROM (
       SELECT  @name_number := IF(@Name = Name, @name_number + 1, 1) AS name_number, 
               @Name := Name as Name, SomeData, MoreStuff
       FROM 
              (SELECT @name_number := 1) x, 
              (SELECT SomeData, MoreStuff, @Name := Name as Name FROM your_table ORDER BY Name) y
      ) z
WHERE name_number <= 3;

Демо-версия Sql Fiddle здесь!