Use secondary indices

Secondary indices improve data access by defining alternative keys that you use in query and scan operations. Global secondary indices (GSI) have a partition key and a sort key that can be different from those on the base table. In contrast, local secondary indices (LSI) use the partition key of the primary index.

Annotate data class with secondary index annotations

Attributes that participate in secondary indices require either the @DynamoDbSecondaryPartitionKey or @DynamoDbSecondarySortKey annotation.

The following class shows annotations for two indices. The GSI named SubjectLastPostedDateIndex uses the Subject attribute for the partition key and the LastPostedDateTime for the sort key. The LSI named ForumLastPostedDateIndex uses the ForumName as its partition key and LastPostedDateTime as its sort key.

Note that the Subject attribute serves a dual role. It is the primary key's sort key and the partition key of the GSI named SubjectLastPostedDateIndex.

MessageThread class

The MessageThread class is suitable to use as a data class for the example Thread table in the Amazon DynamoDB Developer Guide.

import software.amazon.awssdk.enhanced.dynamodb.mapper.annotations.DynamoDbBean;
import software.amazon.awssdk.enhanced.dynamodb.mapper.annotations.DynamoDbPartitionKey;
import software.amazon.awssdk.enhanced.dynamodb.mapper.annotations.DynamoDbSecondaryPartitionKey;
import software.amazon.awssdk.enhanced.dynamodb.mapper.annotations.DynamoDbSecondarySortKey;
import software.amazon.awssdk.enhanced.dynamodb.mapper.annotations.DynamoDbSortKey;

import java.util.List;

@DynamoDbBean
public class MessageThread {
    private String ForumName;
    private String Subject;
    private String Message;
    private String LastPostedBy;
    private String LastPostedDateTime;
    private Integer Views;
    private Integer Replies;
    private Integer Answered;
    private List<String> Tags;

    @DynamoDbPartitionKey
    public String getForumName() {
        return ForumName;
    }

    public void setForumName(String forumName) {
        ForumName = forumName;
    }

    // Sort key for primary index and partition key for GSI "SubjectLastPostedDateIndex".
    @DynamoDbSortKey
    @DynamoDbSecondaryPartitionKey(indexNames = "SubjectLastPostedDateIndex")
    public String getSubject() {
        return Subject;
    }

    public void setSubject(String subject) {
        Subject = subject;
    }

    // Sort key for GSI "SubjectLastPostedDateIndex" and sort key for LSI "ForumLastPostedDateIndex".
    @DynamoDbSecondarySortKey(indexNames = {"SubjectLastPostedDateIndex", "ForumLastPostedDateIndex"})
    public String getLastPostedDateTime() {
        return LastPostedDateTime;
    }

    public void setLastPostedDateTime(String lastPostedDateTime) {
        LastPostedDateTime = lastPostedDateTime;
    }
    public String getMessage() {
        return Message;
    }

    public void setMessage(String message) {
        Message = message;
    }

    public String getLastPostedBy() {
        return LastPostedBy;
    }

    public void setLastPostedBy(String lastPostedBy) {
        LastPostedBy = lastPostedBy;
    }

    public Integer getViews() {
        return Views;
    }

    public void setViews(Integer views) {
        Views = views;
    }

    @DynamoDbSecondaryPartitionKey(indexNames = "ForumRepliesIndex")
    public Integer getReplies() {
        return Replies;
    }

    public void setReplies(Integer replies) {
        Replies = replies;
    }

    public Integer getAnswered() {
        return Answered;
    }

    public void setAnswered(Integer answered) {
        Answered = answered;
    }

    public List<String> getTags() {
        return Tags;
    }

    public void setTags(List<String> tags) {
        Tags = tags;
    }

    public MessageThread() {
        this.Answered = 0;
        this.LastPostedBy = "";
        this.ForumName = "";
        this.Message = "";
        this.LastPostedDateTime = "";
        this.Replies = 0;
        this.Views = 0;
        this.Subject = "";
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "MessageThread{" +
                "ForumName='" + ForumName + '\'' +
                ", Subject='" + Subject + '\'' +
                ", Message='" + Message + '\'' +
                ", LastPostedBy='" + LastPostedBy + '\'' +
                ", LastPostedDateTime='" + LastPostedDateTime + '\'' +
                ", Views=" + Views +
                ", Replies=" + Replies +
                ", Answered=" + Answered +
                ", Tags=" + Tags +
                '}';
    }
}

Create the index

Beginning with version 2.20.86 of the SDK for Java, the createTable() method automatically generates secondary indexes from data class annotations. By default, all attributes from the base table are copied to an index and the provisioned throughput values are 20 read capacity units and 20 write capacity units.

However, if you use an SDK version prior to 2.20.86, you need to build the index along with the table as shown in the following example. This example builds the two indexes for the Thread table. The builder parameter has methods to configure both types of indexes as shown after comment lines 1 and 2. You use the index builder's indexName() method to associate the index names specified in the data class annotations with the intended type of index.

This code configures all of the table attributes to end up in both indexes after comment lines 3 and 4. More information about attribute projections is available in the Amazon DynamoDB Developer Guide.

    public static void createMessageThreadTable(DynamoDbTable<MessageThread> messageThreadDynamoDbTable, DynamoDbClient dynamoDbClient) {
        messageThreadDynamoDbTable.createTable(b -> b
                // 1. Generate the GSI.
                .globalSecondaryIndices(gsi -> gsi.indexName("SubjectLastPostedDateIndex")
                        // 3. Populate the GSI with all attributes.
                        .projection(p -> p
                                .projectionType(ProjectionType.ALL))
                )
                // 2. Generate the LSI.
                .localSecondaryIndices(lsi -> lsi.indexName("ForumLastPostedDateIndex")
                        // 4. Populate the LSI with all attributes.
                        .projection(p -> p
                                .projectionType(ProjectionType.ALL))
                )
        );

Query by using an index

The following example queries the local secondary index ForumLastPostedDateIndex.

Following comment line 2, you create a QueryConditional object that is required when calling the DynamoDbIndex.query() method.

You get a reference to the index you want to query after comment line 3 by passing in the name of the index. Following comment line 4, you call the query() method on the index passing in the QueryConditional object.

You also configure the query to return three attribute values as shown after comment line 5. If attributesToProject() is not called, the query returns all attribute values. Notice that the specified attribute names begin with lowercase letters. These attribute names match those used in the table, not necessarily the attribute names of the data class.

Following comment line 6, iterate through the results and log each item returned by the query and also store it in the list to return to the caller.

public static List<MessageThread> queryUsingSecondaryIndices(DynamoDbEnhancedClient enhancedClient,
                                                                 String lastPostedDate,
                                                                 DynamoDbTable<MessageThread> threadTable) {
        // 1. Log the parameter value.
        logger.info("lastPostedDate value: {}", lastPostedDate);

        // 2. Create a QueryConditional whose sort key value must be greater than or equal to the parameter value.
        QueryConditional queryConditional = QueryConditional.sortGreaterThanOrEqualTo(qc ->
                qc.partitionValue("Forum02").sortValue(lastPostedDate));

        // 3. Specify the index name to query the DynamoDbIndex instance.
        final DynamoDbIndex<MessageThread> forumLastPostedDateIndex = threadTable.index("ForumLastPostedDateIndex");

        // 4. Perform the query by using the QueryConditional object.
        final SdkIterable<Page<MessageThread>> pagedResult = forumLastPostedDateIndex.query(q -> q
                .queryConditional(queryConditional)
                // 5. Request three attribute in the results.
                .attributesToProject("forumName", "subject", "lastPostedDateTime"));

        List<MessageThread> collectedItems = new ArrayList<>();
        // 6. Iterate through the pages response and sort the items.
        pagedResult.stream().forEach(page -> page.items().stream()
                        .sorted(Comparator.comparing(MessageThread::getLastPostedDateTime))
                        .forEach(mt -> {
                            // 7. Log the returned items and add the collection to return to the caller.
                            logger.info(mt.toString());
                            collectedItems.add(mt);
                        }));
        return collectedItems;
    }

The following items exist in the database before the query is run.

MessageThread{ForumName='Forum01', Subject='Subject01', Message='Message01', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.03.28', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum02', Subject='Subject02', Message='Message02', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.03.29', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum02', Subject='Subject04', Message='Message04', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.03.31', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum02', Subject='Subject08', Message='Message08', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.04', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum02', Subject='Subject10', Message='Message10', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.06', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum03', Subject='Subject03', Message='Message03', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.03.30', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum03', Subject='Subject06', Message='Message06', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.02', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum03', Subject='Subject09', Message='Message09', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.05', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum05', Subject='Subject05', Message='Message05', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.01', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum07', Subject='Subject07', Message='Message07', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.03', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}

The logging statements at lines 1 and 6 result in the following console output.

lastPostedDate value: 2023.03.31
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum02', Subject='Subject04', Message='', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.03.31', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum02', Subject='Subject08', Message='', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.04', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}
MessageThread{ForumName='Forum02', Subject='Subject10', Message='', LastPostedBy='', LastPostedDateTime='2023.04.06', Views=0, Replies=0, Answered=0, Tags=null}

The query returned items with a forumName value of Forum02 and a lastPostedDateTime value greater than or equal to 2023.03.31. The results show message values with an empty string although the message attributes have values in the index. This is because the message attribute was not projected after comment line 5.