# Update across indices **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 14, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-across-indices/8100 "2012-06-14T07:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rahul\_Sharma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rahul\_Sharma](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rahul_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-across-indices/8100/1 "2012-06-14T07:10:27Z")
Hi, Elastic Search nicely does update behind the scene when I provide an "\_id" while indexing. Its pretty cool!! But this happens only on one Index. Is it possible to do across indices? In my application I do rollover indexes, it create new indexes after a certain number of documents. But there are scenarios where update request comes for a document which is part of one of the old index which is not pointing by the alias. And hence it creates a new document instead of updating. One way is that I keep track of the ids on each Index and then push the document to that particular index if its an update. But thats a very ugly looking approach. Is there a better way? Alternatively is there a support for Update By Query something like DeleteByQuery? Your response will be much appreciated! Thanks Rahul ---
**Author:** ![Benjamin\_Deveze](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/benjamin_deveze/32/1577_2.png) [@Benjamin\_Deveze](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Benjamin_Deveze)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 7:59am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-across-indices/8100/2 "2012-06-14T07:59:33Z")
Heya, 1. for your first problem there is no cross indexes ids. If you do rollover indexes based on a certain number of documents I think you are forced to maintain a pair id/index\_name to properly update your old documents. You could alternatively use the update API on all your indexes but it won't be great either. Have you considered using rollover indexes based on time? 2. Update by query is not implemented yet but there is an opened issue for it [Update API: update by query · Issue #1607 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1607) On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 9:10 AM, Rahul Sharma [rahul.sharma.coder@gmail.com](mailto:rahul.sharma.coder@gmail.com) wrote: > Hi, > > Elastic Search nicely does update behind the scene when I provide an "\_id" > while indexing. Its pretty cool!! > But this happens only on one Index. Is it possible to do across indices? > > In my application I do rollover indexes, it create new indexes after a > certain number of documents. > But there are scenarios where update request comes for a document which is > part of one of the old index which is not pointing by the alias. > And hence it creates a new document instead of updating. > > One way is that I keep track of the ids on each Index and then push the > document to that particular index if its an update. But thats a very ugly > looking approach. Is there a better way? > > Alternatively is there a support for Update By Query something like > DeleteByQuery? > > Your response will be much appreciated! > > Thanks > Rahul -- Benjamin DEVEZE ---
**Author:** ![Benjamin\_Deveze](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/benjamin_deveze/32/1577_2.png) [@Benjamin\_Deveze](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Benjamin_Deveze)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-across-indices/8100/3 "2012-06-14T08:41:49Z")
Would it be interesting to add a new op\_type "replace" for the index API. In this case the doc would be indexed only if it exists already? On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 9:59 AM, Benjamin Devèze [benjamin.deveze@gmail.com](mailto:benjamin.deveze@gmail.com) wrote: > Heya, > > 1. for your first problem there is no cross indexes ids. If you do > rollover indexes based on a certain number of documents I think you > are forced to maintain a pair id/index\_name to properly update your > old documents. You could alternatively use the update API on all your > indexes but it won't be great either. Have you considered using > rollover indexes based on time? > > 2. Update by query is not implemented yet but there is an opened issue > for it [Update API: update by query · Issue #1607 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1607) > > On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 9:10 AM, Rahul Sharma > [rahul.sharma.coder@gmail.com](mailto:rahul.sharma.coder@gmail.com) wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Elastic Search nicely does update behind the scene when I provide an "\_id" > > while indexing. Its pretty cool!! > > But this happens only on one Index. Is it possible to do across indices? > > > > In my application I do rollover indexes, it create new indexes after a > > certain number of documents. > > But there are scenarios where update request comes for a document which is > > part of one of the old index which is not pointing by the alias. > > And hence it creates a new document instead of updating. > > > > One way is that I keep track of the ids on each Index and then push the > > document to that particular index if its an update. But thats a very ugly > > looking approach. Is there a better way? > > > > Alternatively is there a support for Update By Query something like > > DeleteByQuery? > > > > Your response will be much appreciated! > > > > Thanks > > Rahul > > -- > Benjamin DEVEZE -- Benjamin DEVEZE ---
**Author:** ![Rahul\_Sharma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rahul\_Sharma](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rahul_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 9:06am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-across-indices/8100/4 "2012-06-14T09:06:54Z")
Hey, Thanks for your quick response. I have two schemes for rollover. In once scenario its based on time whereas in the other its on number of docs. It would be really helpful to get an updateBy query kind of an API. _For now I am thinking of following approaches_: 1. To keep an additional field with each document which will keep the indexName. So while indexing I would do a check by Ids to find the docs that needs an update and separate it out from the ones that needs insert. But the downside is it would mean IO overheads. 2. Create another associated index to keep track of the Index vs Doc ID mapping. Here I can store all the ids in a per index doc (comma separated) and process it using CPU cycle. Downside is the Doc Size can grow over the roof and more CPU cycles. As of now I am more inclined towards Approach 1 as I don't have to take care of managing additional index mapping especially in scenarios of deletes. Any other suggestions? Thanks Rahul On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 1:29 PM, Benjamin Devèze [benjamin.deveze@gmail.com](mailto:benjamin.deveze@gmail.com)wrote: > Heya, > > 1. for your first problem there is no cross indexes ids. If you do > rollover indexes based on a certain number of documents I think you > are forced to maintain a pair id/index\_name to properly update your > old documents. You could alternatively use the update API on all your > indexes but it won't be great either. Have you considered using > rollover indexes based on time? > > 2. Update by query is not implemented yet but there is an opened issue > for it [Update API: update by query · Issue #1607 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1607) > > On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 9:10 AM, Rahul Sharma > [rahul.sharma.coder@gmail.com](mailto:rahul.sharma.coder@gmail.com) wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Elastic Search nicely does update behind the scene when I provide an > > "\_id" > > while indexing. Its pretty cool!! > > But this happens only on one Index. Is it possible to do across indices? > > > > In my application I do rollover indexes, it create new indexes after a > > certain number of documents. > > But there are scenarios where update request comes for a document which > > is > > part of one of the old index which is not pointing by the alias. > > And hence it creates a new document instead of updating. > > > > One way is that I keep track of the ids on each Index and then push the > > document to that particular index if its an update. But thats a very ugly > > looking approach. Is there a better way? > > > > Alternatively is there a support for Update By Query something like > > DeleteByQuery? > > > > Your response will be much appreciated! > > > > Thanks > > Rahul > > -- > Benjamin DEVEZE ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-across-indices/8100/5 "2017-07-06T03:24:15Z")