metadata.rst

Metadata Queries

Table of contents

• Querying Metadata

Querying Metadata

Description

You can query your indices metadata by SHOW and DESCRIBE statement. These commands are very useful for database management tool to enumerate all existing indices and get basic information from the cluster.

Syntax

Rule showStatement:

Rule showFilter:

Example 1: Show All Indices Information

SHOW statement lists all indices that match the search pattern. By using wildcard '%', information for all indices in the cluster is returned.

SQL query:

POST /_plugins/_sql
{
  "query" : "SHOW TABLES LIKE %"
}

Result set:

TABLE_CAT	TABLE_SCHEM	TABLE_NAME	TABLE_TYPE	REMARKS	TYPE_CAT	TYPE_SCHEM	TYPE_NAME	SELF_REFERENCING_COL_NAME	REF_GENERATION
integTest	null	accounts	BASE TABLE	null	null	null	null	null	null
integTest	null	employees_nested	BASE TABLE	null	null	null	null	null	null

Example 2: Show Specific Index Information

Here is an example that searches metadata for index name prefixed by 'acc'. Besides index name and pattern with wildcard characters, searching by index alias is also supported. So you can SHOW or DESCRIBE an index alias which gives you same result as doing this with an index name.

SQL query:

POST /_plugins/_sql
{
  "query" : "SHOW TABLES LIKE acc%"
}

Result set:

TABLE_CAT	TABLE_SCHEM	TABLE_NAME	TABLE_TYPE	REMARKS	TYPE_CAT	TYPE_SCHEM	TYPE_NAME	SELF_REFERENCING_COL_NAME	REF_GENERATION
integTest	null	accounts	BASE TABLE	null	null	null	null	null	null

Example 3: Describe Index Fields Information

DESCRIBE statement lists all fields for indices that can match the search pattern.

SQL query:

POST /_plugins/_sql
{
  "query" : "DESCRIBE TABLES LIKE accounts"
}

Result set:

TABLE_CAT	TABLE_SCHEM	TABLE_NAME	COLUMN_NAME	DATA_TYPE	TYPE_NAME	COLUMN_SIZE	BUFFER_LENGTH	DECIMAL_DIGITS	NUM_PREC_RADIX	NULLABLE	REMARKS	COLUMN_DEF	SQL_DATA_TYPE	SQL_DATETIME_SUB	CHAR_OCTET_LENGTH	ORDINAL_POSITION	IS_NULLABLE	SCOPE_CATALOG	SCOPE_SCHEMA	SCOPE_TABLE	SOURCE_DATA_TYPE	IS_AUTOINCREMENT	IS_GENERATEDCOLUMN
integTest	null	accounts	account_number	null	long	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	1		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	firstname	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	2		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	address	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	3		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	balance	null	long	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	4		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	gender	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	5		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	city	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	6		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	employer	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	7		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	state	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	8		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	age	null	long	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	9		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	email	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	10		null	null	null	null	NO
integTest	null	accounts	lastname	null	text	null	null	null	10	2	null	null	null	null	null	11		null	null	null	null	NO