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SQL++ Support for Couchbase Transactions

  • concept
March 9, 2025
+ 12
SQL++ offers full support for Couchbase ACID transactions.

Starting with Couchbase Server 7.0, SQL++ offers full support for Couchbase ACID transactions based on optimistic concurrency. Refer to Transactions for an overview of Couchbase transactions.

  • Only DML statements are permitted within a transaction: INSERT, UPSERT, DELETE, UPDATE, MERGE, SELECT, EXECUTE FUNCTION, PREPARE, or EXECUTE.

  • The EXECUTE FUNCTION statement is only permitted in a transaction if the user-defined function does not contain any subqueries other than SELECT subqueries.

  • The PREPARE and EXECUTE statements are only permitted in a transaction for the DML statements listed above.

All statements within a transaction are sent to the same Query node.

Statements

SQL++ provides the following statements in support of Couchbase transactions. Refer to the documentation for each statement for more information and examples.

Settings and Parameters

The Query service provides settings and parameters in support of Couchbase transactions. Refer to the documentation for each parameter for more information and examples.

Setting / Parameter Description

txid request-level parameter

Specifies the transaction to which a statement belongs.

tximplicit request-level parameter

Specifies that a statement is a single transaction.

txstmtnum request-level parameter

Specifies the transaction statement number.

kvtimeout request-level parameter

Specifies the maximum time to spend on a KV operation within a transaction before timing out.

durability_level request-level parameter

Specifies the transactional durability level.

txtimeout request-level parameter
txtimeout node-level setting
queryTxTimeout cluster-level setting

Specify the maximum time to spend on a transaction before timing out.

atrcollection request-level parameter
atrcollection node-level setting

Specify where the active transaction record is stored.

cleanupclientattempts node-level setting
queryCleanupClientAttempts cluster-level setting

cleanuplostattempts node-level setting
queryCleanupLostAttempts cluster-level setting

Specify how expired transactions are cleaned up.

cleanupwindow node-level setting
queryCleanupWindow cluster-level setting

Specify how frequently active transaction records are checked for cleanup.

numatrs request-level parameter
numatrs node-level setting
queryNumAtrs cluster-level setting

Specify the total number of active transaction records.

In addition, the scan-consistency request-level parameter is used to specify the transactional scan consistency. Refer to Transactional Scan Consistency for details.

Query Tools

To create a Couchbase transaction using SQL++, you can use any of the tools that you use to run a SQL++ query: the Query Workbench, the cbq shell, or the Query REST API. There are slight differences in the way these tools operate when creating Couchbase transactions. These are explained in the sections below.

Note that some Couchbase SDKs provide APIs to support Couchbase transactions. For further details, refer to Transactions.

Couchbase Transactions with the Query Workbench

  • To execute a transaction containing multiple statements, compose the sequence of statements in the Query Editor. Each statement must be terminated with a semicolon. After each statement, you must press Shift+Enter to start a new line without executing the query. You can then click Execute to execute the transaction.

  • To execute a single statement as a transaction, simply enter the statement in the Query Editor and click Run as TX.

  • In either case, you do not need to specify the txid parameter or the tximplicit parameter. If you need to specify any other parameters for the Couchbase transaction, you can use the query run-time preferences window.

Couchbase Transactions with the cbq shell

  • To execute a transaction containing multiple statements, you can create the transaction one statement at a time. Once you have started a transaction, all statements within the cbq shell session are assumed to be part of the same transaction until you rollback or commit the transaction. In this case, you don’t need to set the txid parameter. [1]

  • Alternatively, you can use the tximplicit parameter to run a single statement as a transaction. In this case, you do not need to specify the txid parameter either.

  • You can specify parameters for the Couchbase transaction using the \SET command.

Couchbase Transactions with the Query REST API

  • To execute a transaction containing multiple statements, you can create the transaction one statement at a time. Once you have started the transaction, you must set the txid parameter to specify the transaction to which each subsequent statement belongs.

  • Alternatively, you can use the tximplicit parameter to run a single statement as a transaction. In this case, you do not need to specify the txid parameter.

  • You can specify parameters for the Couchbase transaction as body parameters or query parameters alongside the query statement.

Monitoring

You can monitor active Couchbase transactions using the system:transactions catalog. For more information, refer to system:transactions.

Permissions

When developing a transaction with an SDK, the transaction may contain a mixture of key-value operations and query statements.

To execute a key-value operation within a transaction, users must have the relevant Administrative or Data RBAC roles, and permissions on the relevant buckets, scopes and collections.

Similarly, to run a query statement within a transaction, users must have the relevant Administrative or Query & Index RBAC roles, and permissions on the relevant buckets, scopes and collections.

Refer to Roles for details.

Query Mode
When a transaction executes a query statement, the transaction enters query mode, which means that the query is executed with the user’s query permissions. Any key-value operations which are executed by the transaction after the query statement are also executed with the user’s query permissions. These may or may not be different to the user’s data permissions; if they are different, you may get unexpected results.

Worked Example

This worked example guides you through a complete Couchbase transaction session using SQL++.

Preparation

The worked example assumes that the supplied travel-sample bucket is installed. Refer to Sample Buckets for installation details.

Index

For the purposes of this worked example, you must create a primary index in the keyspace you will be using.

Create a primary index on `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.bookings, so that you can query and update the documents in this keyspace.

sql++
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CREATE PRIMARY INDEX ON bookings;
Parameters

If necessary, set the transaction parameters for this worked example. In particular, you will turn off durability for the purposes of this example, in order to make sure that there are no problems meeting the transaction durability requirements.

  1. Click the cog icon to display the Run-Time Preferences window.

  2. Open the Scan Consistency drop-down list and select not_bounded.

  3. In the Transaction Timeout box, enter 120.

  4. In the Named Parameters section, click the + button to add a named parameter.

  5. When the new named parameter appears, enter durability_level in the name box and "none" (with double quotes) in the value box.

  6. Choose Save Preferences to save the preferences and return to the Query Workbench.

Transaction

Example 1. Transaction using the Query Workbench or cbq shell

Copy the entire sequence below and paste it into either the Query Workbench or the cbq shell. Note that you must be using cbq shell version 2.0 or above.

Transaction
sql++
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-- Start the transaction
BEGIN WORK;

-- Specify transaction settings
SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ COMMITTED;

-- Create a booking document
UPSERT INTO bookings
VALUES("bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03", {
  "date": "07/24/2021",
  "flight": "WN533",
  "flighttime": 7713,
  "price": 964.13,
  "route": "63986"
});

-- Set a savepoint
SAVEPOINT s1;

-- Update the booking document to include a user
UPDATE bookings AS b
SET b.`user` = "0"
WHERE META(b).id = "bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03";

-- Check the content of the booking and user
SELECT b.*, u.name
FROM bookings b
JOIN users u
ON b.`user` = META(u).id
WHERE META(b).id = "bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03";

-- Set a second savepoint
SAVEPOINT s2;

-- Update the booking documents to change the user
UPDATE bookings AS b
SET b.`user` = "1"
WHERE META(b).id = "bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03";

-- Check the content of the booking and user
SELECT b.*, u.name
FROM bookings b
JOIN users u
ON b.`user` = META(u).id
WHERE META(b).id = "bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03";

-- Roll back the transaction to the second savepoint
ROLLBACK TRAN TO SAVEPOINT s2;

-- Check the content of the booking and user again
SELECT b.*, u.name
FROM bookings b
JOIN users u
ON b.`user` = META(u).id
WHERE META(b).id = "bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03";

-- Commit the transaction
COMMIT WORK;

The results of running the transaction in the Query Workbench are shown below. If you are using the cbq shell, the results are formatted differently, but contain the same information.

Results
json
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[
  {
    "_sequence_num": 1,
    "_sequence_query": "-- Start the transaction\nBEGIN WORK;",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": [
      {
        "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51" (1)
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 2,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Specify transaction settings\nSET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ COMMITTED;",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 3,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Create a booking document\nUPSERT INTO `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.bookings\nVALUES(\"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\", {\n  \"date\": \"07/24/2021\",\n  \"flight\": \"WN533\",\n  \"flighttime\": 7713,\n  \"price\": 964.13,\n  \"route\": \"63986\"\n});",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 4,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Set a savepoint\nSAVEPOINT s1;",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 5,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Update the booking document to include a user\nUPDATE `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.bookings AS b\nSET b.`user` = \"0\"\nWHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 6,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Check the content of the booking and user\nSELECT b.*, u.name\nFROM `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.bookings b\nJOIN `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.users u\nON b.`user` = META(u).id\nWHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": [
      {
        "date": "07/24/2021",
        "flight": "WN533",
        "flighttime": 7713,
        "name": "Keon Hoppe",
        "price": 964.13,
        "route": "63986",
        "user": "0" (2)
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 7,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Set a second savepoint\nSAVEPOINT s2;",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 8,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Update the booking documents to change the user\nUPDATE `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.bookings AS b\nSET b.`user` = \"1\"\nWHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 9,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Check the content of the booking and user\nSELECT b.*, u.name\nFROM `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.bookings b\nJOIN `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.users u\nON b.`user` = META(u).id\nWHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": [
      {
        "date": "07/24/2021",
        "flight": "WN533",
        "flighttime": 7713,
        "name": "Rigoberto Bernier",
        "price": 964.13,
        "route": "63986",
        "user": "1" (3)
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 10,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Roll back the transaction to the second savepoint\nROLLBACK TRAN TO SAVEPOINT s2;",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 11,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Check the content of the booking and user again\nSELECT b.*, u.name\nFROM `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.bookings b\nJOIN `travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00.users u\nON b.`user` = META(u).id\nWHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": [
      {
        "date": "07/24/2021",
        "flight": "WN533",
        "flighttime": 7713,
        "name": "Keon Hoppe",
        "price": 964.13,
        "route": "63986",
        "user": "0" (4)
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "_sequence_num": 12,
    "_sequence_query": "\n\n-- Commit the transaction\nCOMMIT WORK;",
    "_sequence_query_status": "success",
    "_sequence_result": {
      "results": []
    }
  }
]
1 Beginning a transaction returns a transaction ID.
2 Before setting the second savepoint, the booking document has user "0", name "Keon Hoppe".
3 After setting the second savepoint and performing an update, the booking document has user "1", name "Rigoberto Bernier".
4 After rolling back to the second savepoint, the booking document again has user "0", name "Keon Hoppe".
Example 2. Check the results of Example 1

Check the result of committing the transaction.

Query
sql++
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SELECT b.*, u.name
FROM bookings b
JOIN users u
ON b.`user` = META(u).id
WHERE META(b).id = "bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03";
Results
json
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{
  "date": "07/24/2021",
  "flight": "WN533",
  "flighttime": 7713,
  "name": "Keon Hoppe",
  "price": 964.13,
  "route": "63986",
  "user": "0" (1)
}
1 The booking document has been added with the attributes that were present when the transaction was committed.
Example 3. Transaction using the Query REST API

For reference, this example shows the equivalent of Example 1 using the Query REST API.

Begin transaction and set parameters
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "BEGIN WORK",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txtimeout": "2m",
  "scan_consistency": "request_plus",
  "durability_level": "none"
}'
Specify transaction settings
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "SET TRANSACTION ISOLATION LEVEL READ COMMITTED;",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Create a booking document
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "UPSERT INTO bookings VALUES(\"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\", {
    \"date\": \"07/24/2021\",
    \"flight\": \"WN533\",
    \"flighttime\": 7713,
    \"price\": 964.13,
    \"route\": \"63986\"
});",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Set a savepoint
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "SAVEPOINT s1;",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Update the booking document to include a user
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "UPDATE bookings AS b
    SET b.`user` = \"0\"
    WHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Check the content of the booking and user
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "SELECT b.*, u.name
                FROM bookings b JOIN users u ON b.`user` = META(u).id
                WHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Set a second savepoint
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "SAVEPOINT s2;",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Update the booking documents to change the user
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "UPDATE bookings AS b
    SET b.`user` = \"1\"
    WHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Check the content of the booking and user
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "SELECT b.*, u.name
                FROM bookings b JOIN users u ON b.`user` = META(u).id
                WHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Roll back the transaction to the second savepoint
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "ROLLBACK TRAN TO SAVEPOINT s2;",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Check the content of the booking and user again
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "SELECT b.*, u.name
                FROM bookings b JOIN users u ON b.`user` = META(u).id
                WHERE META(b).id = \"bf7ad6fa-bdb9-4099-a840-196e47179f03\";",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
Commit the transaction
console
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curl http://localhost:8093/query/service \
-u Administrator:password \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "statement": "COMMIT TRANSACTION",
  "query_context": "`travel-sample`.tenant_agent_00",
  "txid": "d81d9b4a-b758-4f98-b007-87ba262d3a51"
}' (1)
1 After beginning the transaction, each subsequent statement in the transaction must specify the transaction ID that was generated when the transaction began.
1. You must be using cbq shell version 2.0 or above to use the automatic transaction ID functionality.