CartoDB-SQL-API/doc/sql_batch_api.md

SQL Batch API

The SQL Batch API enables you to request queries with long-running CPU processing times. Typically, these kind of requests raise timeout errors when using the SQL API. In order to avoid timeouts, you can use the SQL Batch API to create, read, list, update and cancel queries. You can also run multiple SQL queries in one job. The SQL Batch API schedules the incoming jobs and allows you to request the job status for each query.

Note: In order to use the SQL Batch API, your table must be public, or you must be authenticated using API keys. Additionally, if you are using SQL operations, such as "insert" or "update", for managing large datasets in your account, you still need to use the Import API, or SQL API, for this type of data management. The Batch API is specific to queries and CPU usage.

SQL Batch API Job Schema

The SQL Batch API request to your CartoDB account includes the following job schema elements. Only the query element can be modified. All other elements of the job schema are defined by the SQL Batch API and are read-only.

Name	Description
job_id	a universally unique identifier (uuid).
user	user identifier, as displayed by the username.
status	displays the result of the long-running query. The possible status results are:
---	---
|_ pending	job waiting to be executed.
|_ running	indicates that the job is currently running.
|_ done	job executed successfully.
|_ failed	job executed but failed, with errors.
|_ canceled	job canceled by user request.
|_ unknown	appears when it is not possible to determine what exactly happened with the job.
query	the SQL statement to be executed in a database. You can modify the select SQL statement to be used in the job schema. Tip: In some scenarios, you may need to retrieve the query results from a finished job. If that is the case, wrap the query with SELECT * INTO, or CREATE TABLE AS. The results will be stored in a new table in your user database. For example: 1. A job query, SELECT * FROM user_dataset; 2. Wrap the query, SELECT * INTO job_result FROM (SELECT * FROM user_dataset) AS job; 3. Once the table is created, retrieve the results through the CartoDB SQL API, SELECT * FROM job_result;
created_at	the date and time when the job schema was created.
updated_at	the date and time of when the job schema was last updated, or modified.
failed_reason	displays the database error message, if something went wrong.

Example

HEADERS: 201 CREATED; application/json
BODY: {
	 “job_id”: “de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014”,
	 “user”: “cartofante” 
	 “query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset”,
	 “status”: “pending”,
	 “created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”,
	 “updated_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”
}

Create a Job

To create an SQL Batch API job, make a POST request with the following parameters.

Creates an SQL Batch API job request.

HEADERS: POST /api/v2/sql/job 
BODY: {
  	  query: ‘SELECT * FROM user_dataset’
}

Response

HEADERS: 201 CREATED; application/json
BODY: {
	 “job_id”: “de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014”,
	 “user”: “cartofante” 
	 “query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset”,
	 “status”: “pending”,
	 “created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”,
	 “updated_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”
}

Read a Job

To read an SQL Batch API job, make a GET request with the following parameters.

HEADERS: GET /api/v2/sql/job/de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014
BODY: {}

Response

HEADERS: 200 OK; application/json
BODY: {
	 “job_id”: “de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014”,
	 “user”: “cartofante” 
	 “query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset”,
	 “status”: “pending”,
	 “created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”,
	 “updated_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”
}

List Jobs

To list SQL Batch API jobs, make a GET request with the following parameters.

HEADERS: GET /api/v2/sql/job
BODY: {}

Response

HEADERS: 200 OK; application/json
BODY: [{
	 “job_id”: “de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014”,
	 “user”: “cartofante” 
	 “query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset”,
	 “status”: “pending”,
	 “created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”,
	 “updated_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”
}, {
	 “job_id”: “ba25ed54-75b4-431b-af27-eb6b9e5428ff”,
	 “user”: “cartofante” 
	 “query”: “DELETE FROM user_dataset”,
	 “status”: “pending”,
	 “created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:43:12Z”,
	 “updated_at”: “2015-12-15T07:43:12Z”
}]

Update a Job

To update an SQL Batch API job, make a PUT request with the following parameters.

HEADERS: PUT /api/v2/sql/job/de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014
BODY: {
	"query": “SELECT cartodb_id FROM user_dataset”
}

Response

HEADERS: 200 OK; application/json
BODY: {
	 “job_id”: “de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014”,
	 “user”: “cartofante” 
	 “query”: “SELECT cartodb_id FROM user_dataset”,
	 “status”: “pending”,
	 “created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”,
	 “updated_at”: “2015-12-17T15:45:56Z”
}

Note: Jobs can only be updated while the status: "pending", otherwise the SQL Batch API Update operation is not allowed. You will receive an error if the job status is anything but "pending".

errors: [
	 “The job status is not pending, it cannot be updated”
]

Cancel a Job

To cancel an SQL Batch API job, make a DELETE request with the following parameters.

HEADERS: DELETE /api/v2/sql/job/de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014
BODY: {}

Note: Be mindful when cancelling a job when the status: pending or running.

• If the job is pending, the job will never be executed
• If the job is running, the job will be terminated immediately

Response

HEADERS: 200 OK; application/json
BODY: {
	 “job_id”: “de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014”,
	 “user”: “cartofante” 
	 “query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset”,
	 “status”: “cancelled”,
	 “created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”,
	 “updated_at”: “2015-12-17T06:22:42Z”
}

Note: Jobs can only be cancelled while the status: "running" or status: "pending", otherwise the SQL Batch API Cancel operation is not allowed. You will receive an error if the job status is anything but "running" or "pending".

errors: [
	 “The job status is done, cancel is not allowed”
]

Multi Query Batch Jobs

In some cases, you may need to run multiple SQL queries in one job. The Multi Query batch option enables you run an array of SQL statements, and define the order in which the queries are executed. You can use any of the operations (create, read, list, update, cancel) for the queries in a Multi Query batch job.

HEADERS: POST /api/v2/sql/job 
BODY: {
	 query: [
		   ‘SELECT * FROM user_dataset_0’,
		   ‘SELECT * FROM user_dataset_1’,
		   ‘SELECT * FROM user_dataset_2’
	  ]
}

Response

HEADERS: 201 CREATED; application/json
BODY: {
	   “job_id”: “de305d54-75b4-431b-adb2-eb6b9e546014”,
	   “user”: “cartofante” 
	   “query”:  [{
			“query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset_0”,
			“status”: “pending”
	   }, {
		    “query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset_1”,
		    “status”: “pending”
	   }, {
		    “query”: “SELECT * FROM user_dataset_2”,
			“status”: “pending”
}],
	    “status”: “pending”,
		“created_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”,
		“updated_at”: “2015-12-15T07:36:25Z”
}

Note: The SQL Batch API returns a job status for both the parent Multi Query request, and for each child query within the request. The order in which each query is executed is guaranteed. Here are the possible status results for Multi Query batch jobs:

• If one query within the Multi Query batch fails, the "status": "failed" is returned for both the job and the query, and any "pending" queries will not be processed

• If you cancel the Multi Query batch job, the job status changes to "status": "cancelled". Any running queries within the job will be stopped and changed to "status": "pending", and will not be processed

• Suppose the first query job status is "status": "done", the second query is "status": "running", and the third query "status": "pending". If the second query fails for some reason, the job status changes to "status": "failed" and the last query will not be processed. It is indicated which query failed in the Multi Query batch job

cURL and Node.js Examples

For complete code examples of using the Batch API operations for POST and GET requests, see the developer GIST examples here.