Elasticsearch Multi Index Search

In Elasticsearch, multi-index search refers to the capability of querying across multiple indices simultaneously. This feature is particularly useful when you have different types of data stored in separate indices and need to search across them in a single query. In this article, we’ll explore what multi-index search is, why it’s important, and how to use it effectively with practical examples.

Elasticsearch is designed to handle large volumes of data efficiently by allowing you to organize your data into multiple indices. An index in Elasticsearch is similar to a database in traditional SQL systems—it’s a collection of documents that share similar characteristics.

In real-world scenarios, you might have different indices for different types of data, such as:

• products: Index containing product information.
• users: Index containing user profiles.
• logs: Index containing application logs.

Performing a multi-index search enables you to search across these indices simultaneously, which can simplify your querying process and improve the overall performance of your application.

There are several reasons why multi-index search is beneficial:

• Centralized Searching: Instead of executing separate queries on each index, you can consolidate your search logic into a single query that spans multiple indices.
• Efficiency: Multi-index search can be more efficient than individual index searches, especially when dealing with large datasets.
• Simplified Architecture: It allows for a cleaner architecture by logically separating different types of data into distinct indices.
• Cross-Domain Queries: If your application involves multiple domains (e.g., products and users), you can seamlessly search across them using multi-index search.

Let’s start with a basic example of performing a multi-index search across two indices: products and users.

Scenario: Searching for Products and Users

GET /products,users/_search
{
  "query": {
    "multi_match": {
      "query": "Elasticsearch",
      "fields": ["name", "description"]
    }
  }
}

In this example:

• We use the _search endpoint with a comma-separated list of indices (products and users) to perform a multi-index search.
• The multi_match query searches for the term “Elasticsearch” in the name and description fields across both indices.

When executing a multi-index search, Elasticsearch combines results from all specified indices and returns them in a single response.

Example: Multi-Index Search with Combined Results

Let’s search for products and users containing the term “Elasticsearch” and retrieve combined results.

GET /products,users/_search
{
  "query": {
    "multi_match": {
      "query": "Elasticsearch",
      "fields": ["name", "description"]
    }
  }
}

Sample Output:

{
  "took": 10,
  "hits": {
    "total": {
      "value": 3,
      "relation": "eq"
    },
    "hits": [
      {
        "_index": "products",
        "_id": "1",
        "_source": {
          "name": "Elasticsearch Basics",
          "description": "Learn the fundamentals of Elasticsearch."
        }
      },
      {
        "_index": "users",
        "_id": "123",
        "_source": {
          "name": "John Doe",
          "email": "john.doe@example.com"
        }
      },
      {
        "_index": "users",
        "_id": "456",
        "_source": {
          "name": "Jane Smith",
          "email": "jane.smith@example.com"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

In this output:

• We receive search results from both the products and users indices.
• Each hit includes information about the index (_index), document ID (_id), and relevant source fields (_source).

You can also use wildcards to search across multiple indices that follow a certain naming pattern.

Example: Searching Indices with Wildcards

Let’s search all indices starting with log_data for entries containing the term “error“.

GET /log_data*/_search
{
  "query": {
    "match": {
      "message": "error"
    }
  }
}

In this example:

• The wildcard log_data* matches indices like log_data_2023, log_data_2024, etc.
• The match query searches for the term “error” in the message field across all matching indices.

You can combine multi-index search with filters to further refine your search results.

Example: Multi-Index Search with Filters

Let’s search for products and users where the price is less than 100.

GET /products,users/_search
{
  "query": {
    "bool": {
      "must": {
        "multi_match": {
          "query": "Elasticsearch",
          "fields": ["name", "description"]
        }
      },
      "filter": {
        "range": {
          "price": {
            "lt": 100
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

In this example:

• We use a bool query to combine a multi_match query (search for “Elasticsearch“) with a range filter (filter where price is less than 100).
• The filter applies to both the products and users indices.

In addition to the basics, let’s explore some advanced techniques for leveraging multi-index search in Elasticsearch to further enhance your querying capabilities:

1. Alias-Based Search: Utilize index aliases to abstract away index names and dynamically switch between indices without changing your query logic.
2. Cross-Cluster Search: Extend multi-index search capabilities across multiple Elasticsearch clusters for distributed data retrieval and analysis.
3. Index Routing: Route documents to specific indices based on predefined criteria, optimizing search performance and resource utilization.

Multi-index search in Elasticsearch is a powerful feature that allows you to search across multiple indices simultaneously. By leveraging multi-index search, you can streamline your querying process, improve efficiency, and simplify your application architecture.

In this article, we covered the basics of multi-index search, why it’s important, and how to use it effectively with practical examples. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to harness the full potential of Elasticsearch for querying diverse datasets stored in different indices. Start experimenting with multi-index search in your Elasticsearch applications and unlock new possibilities for data retrieval and analysis.