alter

Daria Barysheva

Contents

Definition
Usage
Examples

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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