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Indexing In Azure Cosmos DB

Introduction

 
By default, the Azure Cosmos DB data is indexed. Azure applies its default indexing policy while creating a collection. However, the users can set their customized indexing policy as per the requirement.
 
Types of Index
  • Hash - Supports efficient equality queries.
  • Range - Supports efficient equality queries, range queries, and order by queries
  • Spatial - Supports efficient spatial (within and distance) queries. The datatype can be Point, Polygon, or LineString.
The process of customizing the Indexing Policy
  • Login to Azure Portal.
  • Go to the Azure Cosmos DB account.
  • Go to Settings.
  • Select Collection
  • Click on Indexing Policy.
  • Update the policy as per your requirement.
Default Indexing Policy
 
When creating a collection using the Azure portal, the Cosmos DB indexes both, strings and numeric properties, by default, with Range Index.
  • String Properties - Range Indexed
  • Numeric Properties - Range Indexed
  • Spatial - Point Indexed
     
    Azure Cosmos DB
When creating a collection by code, Azure Cosmos DB, by default, indexes all the string properties within document consistently with a Hash index, and numeric properties with a Range index.
  • String Properties - Hash Indexed
  • Numeric Properties - Range Indexed
     
    Azure Cosmos DB
     
Indexing Modes
  • Consistent
     
    • Indexes get updated synchronously on each insert, update, and delete operation.
    • Designed for “write quickly, query immediately”
    • Incurs highest request unit charge per write 
       
  • Lazy
     
    • Index updates asynchronously
    • Designed for “ingest now, query later”
    • Useful when data is written in a burst
    • You might get inconsistent results for COUNT queries 
       
  • None
     
    • Useful if no index is associated with the document
    • Commonly used if Cosmos DB is utilized as key-value storage and documents are accessed only by their Id Property.
Index Paths
  • You can choose which path must be included or excluded from indexing.
  • This can offer improved write performance and lower index storage for scenarios when the query patterns are known beforehand.
  • Index paths start with the root (/)
  • Use (?) to refer exact path
  • Use (*) to refer all paths under the specified path to be included
Path Description
/ Default path for collection. Recursive and applies to the whole document tree.
/prop/? Index path required to serve queries like the following (with Hash or Range types respectively):
 
SELECT FROM collection c WHERE c.prop = "value"
 
SELECT FROM collection c WHERE c.prop > 5
 
SELECT FROM collection c ORDER BY c.prop
/prop/* Index path for all paths under the specified label. Works with the following queries
 
SELECT FROM collection c WHERE c.prop = "value"
 
SELECT FROM collection c WHERE c.prop.subprop > 5
 
SELECT FROM collection c WHERE c.prop.subprop.nextprop = "value"
 
SELECT FROM collection c ORDER BY c.prop
/props/[]/? Index path required to serve iteration and JOIN queries against arrays of scalars like ["a", "b", "c"]:
 
SELECT tag FROM tag IN collection.props WHERE tag = "value"
 
SELECT tag FROM collection c JOIN tag IN c.props WHERE tag > 5
/props/[]/subprop/? Index path required to serve iteration and JOIN queries against arrays of objects like [{subprop: "a"}, {subprop: "b"}]:
 
SELECT tag FROM tag IN collection.props WHERE tag.subprop = "value"
 
SELECT tag FROM collection c JOIN tag IN c.props WHERE tag.subprop = "value"
/prop/subprop/? Index path required to serve queries (with Hash or Range types respectively):
 
SELECT FROM collection c WHERE c.prop.subprop = "value"
 
SELECT FROM collection c WHERE c.prop.subprop > 5


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