[IMPALA-2637] Can't ALTER TABLE to new database if all columns are complex types

• Type: Bug
• Status: Open
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Unresolved
• Affects Version/s: Impala 2.3.0
• Component/s: Frontend
• Labels: complextype usability
• Epic Link: Fix complex type related issues
• Target Version: Product Backlog
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: John Russell
• Created: 05/Nov/15 01:53
• Updated: 16/Mar/20 15:08

Description

I have a table, NO_SCALAR_TYPES, that I accidentally created in the wrong database. Trying to use ALTER TABLE ... RENAME fails with a Hive metastore error.

Another table, COMPLEX_TYPES_TOP_LEVEL, has exactly the same layout but one additional column that's a scalar (BIGINT). ALTER TABLE ... RENAME works OK for that table.

Since I noticed we do have some error-handling behavior for SELECT * if all the columns are complex types, I figured we should also do something user-friendly for ALTER TABLE ... RENAME on the same table.

[localhost:21000] > desc no_scalar_types;
Query: describe no_scalar_types
+------+-----------------+---------+
| name | type            | comment |
+------+-----------------+---------+
| a    | array<int>      |         |
| s    | struct<         |         |
|      |   field1:int,   |         |
|      |   field2:string |         |
|      | >               |         |
| m1   | map<int,string> |         |
| m2   | map<string,int> |         |
+------+-----------------+---------+
[localhost:21000] > alter table no_scalar_types rename to jdr.no_scalar_types;
Query: alter table no_scalar_types rename to jdr.no_scalar_types
ERROR: 
ImpalaRuntimeException: Error making 'alter_table' RPC to Hive Metastore: 
CAUSED BY: TProtocolException: Required field 'statsObj' is unset! Struct:ColumnStatistics(statsDesc:ColumnStatisticsDesc(isTblLevel:true, dbName:jdr, tableName:no_scalar_types), statsObj:null)

[localhost:21000] > alter table complex_types_top_level rename to jdr.complex_types_top_level;
Query: alter table complex_types_top_level rename to jdr.complex_types_top_level