Collection Alias

This topic describes how to manage collection aliases. Milvus supports specifying a unique alias for a collection.

A collection alias is globally unique, hence you cannot assign the same alias to different collections. However, you can assign multiple aliases to one collection.

The following example is based on the alias publication.

Create a collection alias

Specify an an alias for a collection.

Python Java GO Node.js CLI Curl

from pymilvus import utility
utility.create_alias(
  collection_name = "book",
  alias = "publication"
)

await milvusClient.collectionManager.createAlias({
  collection_name: "book",
  alias: "publication",
});

// This function is under active development on the GO client.

milvusClient.createAlias(
  CreateAliasParam.newBuilder()
    .withCollectionName("book")
    .withAlias("publication")
    .build()
);

create alias -c book -a publication

curl -X 'POST' \
  'http://localhost:9091/api/v1/alias' \
  -H 'accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "collection_name": "book",
    "alias":"publication"
  }'

# Output:
{}

Parameter	Description
`collection_name`	Name of the collection to create alias on.
`alias`	Collection alias to create.

Parameter	Description
`collection_name`	Name of the collection to create alias on.
`alias`	Collection alias to create.

Parameter	Description
`CollectionName`	Name of the collection to create alias on.
`Alias`	Collection alias to create.

Option	Description
-c	Name of the collection to create alias on.
-a	Collection alias to create.
-A (Optional)	Flag to transfer the alias to a specified collection.

Parameter	Description
`collection_name`	Name of the collection to create alias on.
`alias`	Collection alias to create.

Drop a collection alias

Drop a specified alias.

Python Java GO Node.js CLI Curl

from pymilvus import utility
utility.drop_alias(alias = "publication")

await milvusClient.collectionManager.dropAlias({
  alias: "publication",
});

// This function is under active development on the GO client.

milvusClient.dropAlias(
  DropAliasParam.newBuilder()
    .withAlias("publication")
    .build()
);

delete alias -a publication

curl -X 'DELETE' \
  'http://localhost:9091/api/v1/alias' \
  -H 'accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "alias":"publication"
  }'

# Output:
{}

Parameter	Description
`alias`	Collection alias to drop.

Parameter	Description
`alias`	Collection alias to drop.

Parameter	Description
`Alias`	Collection alias to drop.

Option	Description
-a	Collection alias to drop.

Parameter	Description
`alias`	Collection alias to drop.

Alter a collection alias

Alter an existing alias to another collection. The following example is based on the situation that the alias publication was originally created for another collection.

Python Java GO Node.js CLI Curl

from pymilvus import utility
utility.alter_alias(
  collection_name = "book",
  alias = "publication"
)

await milvusClient.collectionManager.alterAlias({
  collection_name: "book",
  alias: "publication",
});

// This function is under active development on the GO client.

milvusClient.alterAlias(
  AlterAliasParam.newBuilder()
    .withCollectionName("book")
    .withAlias("publication")
    .build()
);

create alias -c book -A -a publication

curl -X 'PATCH' \
  'http://localhost:9091/api/v1/alias' \
  -H 'accept: application/json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "collection_name": "book",
    "alias":"publication"
  }'

Output:

{}

Parameter	Description
`collection_name`	Name of the collection to alter alias to.
`alias`	Collection alias to alter.

Parameter	Description
`collection_name`	Name of the collection to alter alias to.
`alias`	Collection alias to alter.

Parameter	Description
`CollectionName`	Name of the collection to alter alias to.
`Alias`	Collection alias to alter.

Option	Description
-c	Name of the collection to alter alias to.
-a	Collection alias to alter.
-A	Flag to transfer the alias to a specified collection.

Parameter	Description
`collection_name`	Name of the collection to alter alias to.
`alias`	Collection alias to alter.

Limits

Feature	Maximum limit
Length of an alias	255 characters

What's next

Learn more basic operations of Milvus: