# Using index aliases instead of mapping types as part of migration

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-index-aliases-instead-of-mapping-types-as-part-of-migration/155583>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [November 6, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-index-aliases-instead-of-mapping-types-as-part-of-migration/155583 "2018-11-06T16:24:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![victorhearnyeates](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/victorhearnyeates/32/37345_2.png) [@victorhearnyeates](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/victorhearnyeates)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-index-aliases-instead-of-mapping-types-as-part-of-migration/155583/1 "2018-11-06T16:24:32Z")

</div>

Hi,

I'm looking at migrating a cluster running on ES 5.3 to either ES 6.3 or 6.4. As part of our migration, we need to remove our mapping types. My original idea is to split each type out as an alias, and add a postfix that was the mapping type.

i.e. instead of

```
PUT index_name/doc_type/id

```

have

```
PUT index_name_doc_type/_doc/_id

```

and then create a wildcard alias on the index name

```
POST _aliases
{
    "actions" : [
        { "add" : { "index" : "index_name_*", "alias" : "index_name" } }
    ]
}

```

Is there any reason I shouldn't do this?

Thanks,  
Victor

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-index-aliases-instead-of-mapping-types-as-part-of-migration/155583/2 "2018-12-04T16:24:33Z")

</div>

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