# Update mapping - what is safe to ignore? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [July 22, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928 "2011-07-22T13:06:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ivan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df788c/32.png) [@Ivan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928/1 "2011-07-22T13:06:48Z")
Using ES 0.16.2 Due to a change in the source content that I am indexing, I need to update a field from a long to string. The original mapping is dynamic, no explicit mapping was ever provided: "event": { "dynamic": "true", "event\_id": { "type": "long" }, // other fields ... } The field is never used and I do not care of "legacy" documents having the correct type. Looking to change this value to a simple not\_analyzed string: "event\_id": { "type": "string", "index": "not\_analyzed" } Of course, an update mapping between types does not work: {"error":"MergeMappingException[Merge failed with failures {[mapper [event.event\_id] of different type, current\_type [long], merged\_type [string]]}]","status":400} At this point I set ignore\_conflicts=true and executed the update mapping (via curl). I received an acknowledgment, but the mapping is not executed. {"ok":true,"acknowledged":true} No errors appear in the log. I used used (abused?) ignore\_conflicts in the past with success, but I am not surprised it does not work in every case. What are the cases were an update to a mapping simply is not possible? My next question is for reindexing recipes, but that is for a different thread. Cheers, Ivan ---
**Author:** ![Karussell1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/50afbb/32.png) [@Karussell1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Karussell1)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928/2 "2011-07-22T14:33:58Z")
updates to the mapping in your case will cause a lot of trouble. change the mapping and create a new index. then reindex and switch the alias and optionally delete the old index. Otherwise strange things can happen ... On 22 Jul., 15:06, Ivan Brusic [i...@brusic.com](mailto:i...@brusic.com) wrote: > Using ES 0.16.2 > > Due to a change in the source content that I am indexing, I need to update a > field from a long to string. > > The original mapping is dynamic, no explicit mapping was ever provided: > "event": { > "dynamic": "true", > "event\_id": { "type": "long" }, > // other fields ... > > } > > The field is never used and I do not care of "legacy" documents having the > correct type. Looking to change this value to a simple not\_analyzed string: > "event\_id": { "type": "string", "index": "not\_analyzed" } > > Of course, an update mapping between types does not work: > {"error":"MergeMappingException[Merge failed with failures {[mapper > > [event.event\_id] of different type, current\_type [long], merged\_type > [string]]}]","status":400} > > At this point I set ignore\_conflicts=true and executed the update mapping > (via curl). I received an acknowledgment, but the mapping is not executed. > {"ok":true,"acknowledged":true} > > No errors appear in the log. I used used (abused?) ignore\_conflicts in the > past with success, but I am not surprised it does not work in every case. > What are the cases were an update to a mapping simply is not possible? > > My next question is for reindexing recipes, but that is for a different > thread. > > Cheers, > > Ivan ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928/3 "2011-07-24T02:16:00Z")
You can't change the type of a field mapped, even when ignore\_conflicts is set to true. Ignore conflicts simply does that, ignore the conflicts and applies what it can, it does not apply conflicts. On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 4:06 PM, Ivan Brusic [ivan@brusic.com](mailto:ivan@brusic.com) wrote: > Using ES 0.16.2 > > Due to a change in the source content that I am indexing, I need to update > a field from a long to string. > > The original mapping is dynamic, no explicit mapping was ever provided: > "event": { > "dynamic": "true", > "event\_id": { "type": "long" }, > // other fields ... > } > > The field is never used and I do not care of "legacy" documents having the > correct type. Looking to change this value to a simple not\_analyzed string: > "event\_id": { "type": "string", "index": "not\_analyzed" } > > Of course, an update mapping between types does not work: > {"error":"MergeMappingException[Merge failed with failures {[mapper > > [event.event\_id] of different type, current\_type [long], merged\_type > [string]]}]","status":400} > > At this point I set ignore\_conflicts=true and executed the update mapping > (via curl). I received an acknowledgment, but the mapping is not executed. > {"ok":true,"acknowledged":true} > > No errors appear in the log. I used used (abused?) ignore\_conflicts in the > past with success, but I am not surprised it does not work in every case. > What are the cases were an update to a mapping simply is not possible? > > My next question is for reindexing recipes, but that is for a different > thread. > > Cheers, > > Ivan ---
**Author:** ![Ivan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df788c/32.png) [@Ivan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928/4 "2011-07-25T21:48:38Z")
I guess the question I really meant to ask is what updates are/are-not possible? Change of type is not permitted. What else? On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 10:16 PM, Shay Banon [shay.banon@elasticsearch.com](mailto:shay.banon@elasticsearch.com)wrote: > You can't change the type of a field mapped, even when ignore\_conflicts is > set to true. Ignore conflicts simply does that, ignore the conflicts and > applies what it can, it does not apply conflicts. > > On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 4:06 PM, Ivan Brusic [ivan@brusic.com](mailto:ivan@brusic.com) wrote: > > > Using ES 0.16.2 > > > > Due to a change in the source content that I am indexing, I need to update > > a field from a long to string. > > > > The original mapping is dynamic, no explicit mapping was ever provided: > > "event": { > > "dynamic": "true", > > "event\_id": { "type": "long" }, > > // other fields ... > > } > > > > The field is never used and I do not care of "legacy" documents having the > > correct type. Looking to change this value to a simple not\_analyzed string: > > "event\_id": { "type": "string", "index": "not\_analyzed" } > > > > Of course, an update mapping between types does not work: > > {"error":"MergeMappingException[Merge failed with failures {[mapper > > > > [event.event\_id] of different type, current\_type [long], merged\_type > > [string]]}]","status":400} > > > > At this point I set ignore\_conflicts=true and executed the update mapping > > (via curl). I received an acknowledgment, but the mapping is not executed. > > {"ok":true,"acknowledged":true} > > > > No errors appear in the log. I used used (abused?) ignore\_conflicts in the > > past with success, but I am not surprised it does not work in every case. > > What are the cases were an update to a mapping simply is not possible? > > > > My next question is for reindexing recipes, but that is for a different > > thread. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Ivan ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928/5 "2011-07-26T04:55:19Z")
Yea, this needs to be documented, open an issue, I'll doc it. On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 12:48 AM, Ivan Brusic [ivan@brusic.com](mailto:ivan@brusic.com) wrote: > I guess the question I really meant to ask is what updates are/are-not > possible? Change of type is not permitted. What else? > > On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 10:16 PM, Shay Banon \<[shay.banon@elasticsearch.com](mailto:shay.banon@elasticsearch.com) > > > wrote: > > > You can't change the type of a field mapped, even when ignore\_conflicts is > > set to true. Ignore conflicts simply does that, ignore the conflicts and > > applies what it can, it does not apply conflicts. > > > > On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 4:06 PM, Ivan Brusic [ivan@brusic.com](mailto:ivan@brusic.com) wrote: > > > > > Using ES 0.16.2 > > > > > > Due to a change in the source content that I am indexing, I need to > > > update a field from a long to string. > > > > > > The original mapping is dynamic, no explicit mapping was ever provided: > > > "event": { > > > "dynamic": "true", > > > "event\_id": { "type": "long" }, > > > // other fields ... > > > } > > > > > > The field is never used and I do not care of "legacy" documents having > > > the correct type. Looking to change this value to a simple not\_analyzed > > > string: > > > "event\_id": { "type": "string", "index": "not\_analyzed" } > > > > > > Of course, an update mapping between types does not work: > > > {"error":"MergeMappingException[Merge failed with failures {[mapper > > > > > > [event.event\_id] of different type, current\_type [long], merged\_type > > > [string]]}]","status":400} > > > > > > At this point I set ignore\_conflicts=true and executed the update mapping > > > (via curl). I received an acknowledgment, but the mapping is not executed. > > > {"ok":true,"acknowledged":true} > > > > > > No errors appear in the log. I used used (abused?) ignore\_conflicts in > > > the past with success, but I am not surprised it does not work in every > > > case. What are the cases were an update to a mapping simply is not > > > possible? > > > > > > My next question is for reindexing recipes, but that is for a different > > > thread. > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > Ivan ---
**Author:** ![Ivan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/df788c/32.png) [@Ivan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928/6 "2011-07-26T14:30:11Z")
Done: [Document what mapping updates are allowed · Issue #1166 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1166) Obviously, a very low priority. I can probably get the information myself by looking at the source code. Thanks, Ivan On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 12:55 AM, Shay Banon [shay.banon@elasticsearch.com](mailto:shay.banon@elasticsearch.com)wrote: > Yea, this needs to be documented, open an issue, I'll doc it. > > On Tue, Jul 26, 2011 at 12:48 AM, Ivan Brusic [ivan@brusic.com](mailto:ivan@brusic.com) wrote: > > > I guess the question I really meant to ask is what updates are/are-not > > possible? Change of type is not permitted. What else? > > > > On Sat, Jul 23, 2011 at 10:16 PM, Shay Banon \< > > [shay.banon@elasticsearch.com](mailto:shay.banon@elasticsearch.com)\> wrote: > > > > > You can't change the type of a field mapped, even when ignore\_conflicts > > > is set to true. Ignore conflicts simply does that, ignore the conflicts and > > > applies what it can, it does not apply conflicts. > > > > > > On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 4:06 PM, Ivan Brusic [ivan@brusic.com](mailto:ivan@brusic.com) wrote: > > > > > > > Using ES 0.16.2 > > > > > > > > Due to a change in the source content that I am indexing, I need to > > > > update a field from a long to string. > > > > > > > > The original mapping is dynamic, no explicit mapping was ever provided: > > > > "event": { > > > > "dynamic": "true", > > > > "event\_id": { "type": "long" }, > > > > // other fields ... > > > > } > > > > > > > > The field is never used and I do not care of "legacy" documents having > > > > the correct type. Looking to change this value to a simple not\_analyzed > > > > string: > > > > "event\_id": { "type": "string", "index": "not\_analyzed" } > > > > > > > > Of course, an update mapping between types does not work: > > > > {"error":"MergeMappingException[Merge failed with failures {[mapper > > > > > > > > [event.event\_id] of different type, current\_type [long], merged\_type > > > > [string]]}]","status":400} > > > > > > > > At this point I set ignore\_conflicts=true and executed the update > > > > mapping (via curl). I received an acknowledgment, but the mapping is not > > > > executed. > > > > {"ok":true,"acknowledged":true} > > > > > > > > No errors appear in the log. I used used (abused?) ignore\_conflicts in > > > > the past with success, but I am not surprised it does not work in every > > > > case. What are the cases were an update to a mapping simply is not > > > > possible? > > > > > > > > My next question is for reindexing recipes, but that is for a different > > > > thread. > > > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > > > Ivan ---
**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, 3:59am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/update-mapping-what-is-safe-to-ignore/4928/7 "2017-07-06T03:59:18Z")