alter

Daria Barysheva

Definition

Allows to add, modify or delete column families and change table configuration options. Column families are defined in the same way, as in the case of create command. Each column family specification can be either a simple string or a dictionary with mandatory NAME attribute.

Usage

  • Adding or modifying a column family:

    alter '[<namespace_name>:]<table_name>',
      '<column_family>' | {NAME => '<column_family>'[, <cf_attribute_name> => <cf_attribute_value>,...]}[,...]

  • Deleting a column family:

    • Method 1:

      alter '[<namespace_name>:]<table_name>',
      NAME => '<column_family>',
      METHOD => 'delete'

    • Method 2:

      alter '[<namespace_name>:]<table_name>',
      'delete' => '<column_family>'

  • Setting table-scope parameters:

    alter '[<namespace_name>:]<table_name>',
      <table_attribute_name> => <table_attribute_value>[,...]

  • Resetting table-scope parameters:

    alter '[<namespace_name>:]<table_name>',
      METHOD => 'table_att_unset',
      NAME => '<table_attribute_name>'

  • Setting configuration options:

    alter '[<namespace_name>:]<table_name>',
      CONFIGURATION => {'<conf_attribute_name>' => <conf_attribute_value>[,...]}

  • Resetting configuration options:

    alter '[<namespace_name>:]<table_name>',
      METHOD => 'table_conf_unset',
      NAME => '<conf_attribute_name>'
TIP
There could be more than one alteration in one command.
Arguments
Parameter Description

namespace_name

A namespace name

table_name

A table name

column_family

A column family name

cf_attribute_name

A column family attribute name

cf_attribute_value

A value of the specified column family attribute

table_attribute_name

A table-scope attribute name

table_attribute_value

A value of the specified table-scope attribute

conf_attribute_name

A configuration attribute name

conf_attribute_value

A value of the specified configuration attribute

Examples

Modifying a column family

hbase(main):001:0> describe 't1'
Table t1 is ENABLED
t1
COLUMN FAMILIES DESCRIPTION
{NAME => 'cf1', VERSIONS => '1', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
{NAME => 'cf2', VERSIONS => '1', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
2 row(s)
Took 0.5144 seconds
hbase(main):002:0> alter 't1', {NAME => 'cf1', VERSIONS => 10}
Updating all regions with the new schema...
1/1 regions updated.
Done.
Took 2.5811 seconds
hbase(main):003:0> describe 't1'
Table t1 is ENABLED
t1
COLUMN FAMILIES DESCRIPTION
{NAME => 'cf1', VERSIONS => '10', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
{NAME => 'cf2', VERSIONS => '1', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
2 row(s)
Took 0.0206 seconds

Adding a new column family

hbase(main):004:0> alter 't1', 'cf3'
Updating all regions with the new schema...
1/1 regions updated.
Done.
Took 2.1848 seconds
hbase(main):005:0> describe 't1'
Table t1 is ENABLED
t1
COLUMN FAMILIES DESCRIPTION
{NAME => 'cf1', VERSIONS => '10', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
{NAME => 'cf2', VERSIONS => '1', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'fa
lse', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false',
IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
{NAME => 'cf3', VERSIONS => '1', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
3 row(s)
Took 0.0183 seconds

Deleting a column family

hbase(main):007:0> alter 't1', NAME => 'cf3', METHOD => 'delete'
Updating all regions with the new schema...
1/1 regions updated.
Done.
Took 2.5314 seconds
hbase(main):008:0> describe 't1'
Table t1 is ENABLED
t1
COLUMN FAMILIES DESCRIPTION
{NAME => 'cf1', VERSIONS => '10', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
{NAME => 'cf2', VERSIONS => '1', EVICT_BLOCKS_ON_CLOSE => 'false', NEW_VERSION_BEHAVIOR => 'false', KEEP_DELETED_CELLS => 'FALSE', CACHE_DATA_ON_WRITE => 'false', DATA_BLOCK_ENCODING => 'NONE', TTL => 'FOREVER', MIN_VERSIONS => '0', REPLICATION_SCOPE => '0', BLOOMFILTER => 'ROW', CACHE_INDEX_ON_WRITE => 'false', IN_MEMORY => 'false', CACHE_BLOOMS_ON_WRITE => 'false', PREFETCH_BLOCKS_ON_OPEN => 'false', COMPRESSION => 'NONE', BLOCKCACHE => 'true', BLOCKSIZE => '65536'}
2 row(s)
Took 0.0175 seconds

Setting a table-scope parameter

hbase(main):001:0> alter 't1', MAX_FILESIZE => '134217728'
Updating all regions with the new schema...
1/1 regions updated.
Done.
Took 2.9316 seconds

Resetting a table-scope parameter

hbase(main):002:0> alter 't1', METHOD => 'table_att_unset', NAME => 'MAX_FILESIZE'
Updating all regions with the new schema...
1/1 regions updated.
Done.
Took 2.3027 seconds

Setting a configuration option

hbase(main):003:0> alter 't1', CONFIGURATION => {'hbase.hregion.scan.loadColumnFamiliesOnDemand' => 'true'}
Updating all regions with the new schema...
1/1 regions updated.
Done.
Took 2.3146 seconds

Resetting a configuration option

hbase(main):004:0> alter 't1', METHOD => 'table_conf_unset', NAME => 'hbase.hregion.scan.loadColumnFamiliesOnDemand'
Updating all regions with the new schema...
1/1 regions updated.
Done.
Took 2.4628 seconds
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