## Summary
When an `LsmWriteSpec` is installed on a table (#3396), `merge_insert`
upsert
calls are dispatched through Lance's MemWAL `ShardWriter` (LSM-style
append)
instead of the standard merge path.
- **`use_lsm_write`** — a `merge_insert` builder option, default `true`;
set it
`false` to use the standard path for a call even when a spec is set.
- **`assume_pre_sharded`** — a `merge_insert` builder option, default
`false`;
skips the per-row shard check and routes by the first row only.
- **`close_lsm_writers`** — drains and closes the table's cached MemWAL
shard
writers.
- The `merge_insert` **`on`** columns default to, and are validated
against,
the table's unenforced primary key.
- Shard writers are cached alongside the dataset (in
`DatasetConsistencyWrapper`) and reused for the session.
- `MergeResult` gains **`num_rows`** — on the LSM path the insert/update
breakdown is unknown until compaction, so only the total is reported.
Routing covers all three sharding strategies — bucket (murmur3,
Iceberg-compatible), identity, and unsharded. Each `merge_insert` call
targets
a single shard; the whole input is collected and validated before a
single
atomic `ShardWriter::put`, so a validation failure leaves the MemWAL
untouched.
Bindings: Python (`merge_insert(...).use_lsm_write(...)` /
`.assume_pre_sharded(...)`, `Table.close_lsm_writers`) and TypeScript
(`mergeInsert(...).useLsmWrite(...)` / `.assumePreSharded(...)`,
`Table.closeLsmWriters`).
## Context
Reconstructed from the original #3354 branch onto current `main`: the
branch
predated the #3394 (unenforced primary key) / #3396 (`LsmWriteSpec`)
split and
has been rebuilt on that merged foundation. Depends on Lance
`v7.0.0-beta.13`.
The MemWAL read path (reading un-flushed shard data back into queries)
and
remote (LanceDB Cloud) LSM support are follow-ups.
---------
Co-authored-by: Jack Ye <yezhaoqin@gmail.com>
## Summary
Split out from #3354
Adds `LsmWriteSpec` and `Table::set_lsm_write_spec` /
`unset_lsm_write_spec` to
install and clear the spec that selects Lance's MemWAL LSM-style write
path for
`merge_insert`.
`LsmWriteSpec` offers three sharding strategies, all built on Lance's
`InitializeMemWalBuilder`:
- `LsmWriteSpec::bucket(column, num_buckets)` — hash-bucket sharding by
the
single-column unenforced primary key.
- `LsmWriteSpec::identity(column)` — identity sharding by the raw value
of a
scalar column.
- `LsmWriteSpec::unsharded()` — a single MemWAL shard.
Each can be refined with `with_maintained_indexes(...)` (indexes the
MemWAL
keeps up to date as rows are appended) and
`with_writer_config_defaults(...)`
(default `ShardWriter` configuration recorded in the MemWAL index, so
every
writer starts from the same defaults). All variants require the table to
have
an unenforced primary key.
- `set_lsm_write_spec` installs the spec by initializing the MemWAL
index;
`unset_lsm_write_spec` removes it (dropping the MemWAL index), reverting
to
the standard `merge_insert` path. `unset` is idempotent.
- Bindings: Python (`LsmWriteSpec.bucket` / `.identity` / `.unsharded`,
`set_lsm_write_spec` / `unset_lsm_write_spec`) and TypeScript
(`setLsmWriteSpec` with `specType` `"bucket"` / `"identity"` /
`"unsharded"`). `RemoteTable` returns `NotSupported`.
The actual `merge_insert` LSM dispatch and `ShardWriter` write path are
a
follow-up — this PR only installs and clears the spec.
