The enabled setting is not updatable (and probably shouldn't)

[ywelsch]

According to the docs , the enabled setting for mappings should be updatable (see TIP at the end), which it actually isn't:

PUT my_index 
{
  "mappings": {
    "doc": { 
      "properties": {
        "bla": {
          "properties": {
            "title":    { "type": "text"  }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

GET /my_index/_mapping/doc

PUT /my_index/_mapping/doc
{
  "properties": {
    "bla": {
      "enabled" : false
    }
  }
}

GET /my_index/_mapping/doc

-> returns same initial mapping :sadtrombone:

While implementing a fix, I noticed that we probably do not want to change and fix this, as this might lead to a surprising effects if the setting is changed during indexing (A field might be indexed on the primary but not on the replica (or vice versa)). Similarly, it might interfere in funny ways with reindexing.

I suggest updating the docs to say that this field is non-updateable, but wanted to raise it first for discussion with @elastic/es-search-aggs.

[colings86]

Additionally we should probably fail the request to update the mappings in this case too!

[jpountz]

+1 to disallow updating this field

Relates to #28070

[jpountz]

We discussed this issue and agreed to disallow updates to the enabled property via mapping updates both ways (false -> true and true -> false). Such mapping updates should raise an error and we should fix our docs.

[cbismuth]

I'll have a look on this one.

[cbismuth]

Here is a complete cURL recreation script in this Gist.
Bug successfully reproduced against up-to-date master branch.

I'm now debugging to see how o.e.r.a.a.i.RestPutMappingAction is implemented, I'll let you know.

[cbismuth]

While implementing a fix [...]

Sorry @ywelsch, I missed the line where you were saying you has already started to work on this. Feel free to let me know what you want to do. I can push my changes to share with you what I already have.

Anyway, if the enabled field shouldn't be updatable, should it be totally removed?

[cbismuth]

I looks like an exception should be raised in the conditional block below.

elasticsearch/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/ObjectMapper.java

Line 257 in 15ff3da

} else if (propNode.size() == 1 && propNode.get("enabled") != null) {

[ywelsch]

Sorry @ywelsch, I missed the line where you were saying you has already started to work on this. Feel free to let me know what you want to do.

The "fix" I was working on was to allow dynamically changing "enable", until I noticed that this is not what we want. I have not done any subsequent work on this, so you are free to proceed on this.

[cbismuth]

I've opened a PR, could please tell me if this design could fit? See here #33933.

If you agree on this, I'll then implement test cases and check for existing test failures.

[BMomani]

what is the current status of this
the documentation say
The enabled setting can be updated on existing fields using the PUT mapping API.
is that correct or not?

[javanna]

@BMomani the docs you linked are for 6.5. We have updated more recent docs to reflect code changes, see ##43701 . It is correct that you cannot update the enabled flag.