ElasticSearch Mapping Issue - Nested to Non-Nested - elasticsearch

Question

I am creating a mapping for data generated by a computer vision application. However, I am getting an error when I test pushing an example data message to ElasticSearch. I have read tons of forums where others have had this issue. Some have resolved their issue but I have tried everything I know to try. I actually think there may be a simple resolution but I am relatively new to Elastic
Search.
The index and mapping are created successfully using:
PUT vision_events
{
"settings" : {
"number_of_shards" : 5
},
"mappings" : {
"properties": {
"camera_id": {
"type": "text",
"fields": {
"keyword": {
"type": "keyword",
"ignore_above": 256
}
}
},
"hit_counts": {
"type": "long"
},
"id": {
"type": "text",
"fields": {
"keyword": {
"type": "keyword",
"ignore_above": 256
}
}
},
"intersection": {
"type": "boolean"
},
"label": {
"type": "text",
"fields": {
"keyword": {
"type": "keyword",
"ignore_above": 256
}
}
},
"locations": {
"type" : "nested",
"properties": {
"coords" : {
"type" : "float"
},
"location": {
"type": "text"
},
"street_segment": {
"type": "text"
},
"timestamp": {
"type": "date"
}
}
},
"pole_id": {
"type": "text",
"fields": {
"keyword": {
"type": "keyword",
"ignore_above": 256
}
}
},
"timestamp": {
"type": "date"
}
}
}
}
Once completed, I move on to validating the mapping is correct. I push the following example data:
POST /vision_events/1?pretty=true
{
"pole_id": "mlk-central-2",
"camera_id": "mlk-central-cam-2",
"intersection": true,
"id": "644d1c06-4c60-4ed8-93b4-1aa79b87a622",
"label": "car",
"timestamp": 1586838108683,
"locations": [
{
"timestamp": 1586838109448,
"coords": 1626.3220383482665,
"street_segment": "None"
},
{
"timestamp": 1586838109832,
"coords": 1623.3129222859882,
"street_segment": "None"
}
],
"hit_counts": 2
}
This produces the following error:
{
"error" : {
"root_cause" : [
{
"type" : "illegal_argument_exception",
"reason" : "object mapping [locations] can't be changed from nested to non-nested"
}
],
"type" : "illegal_argument_exception",
"reason" : "object mapping [locations] can't be changed from nested to non-nested"
},
"status" : 400
}
The locations field is a list of "objects" which contain the fields: coords, location, street_segment and timestamp. Messages have varying length of locations. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Put the unchanged mapping:
PUT vision_events
{"settings":{"number_of_shards":5},"mappings":{"properties":{"camera_id":{"type":"text","fields":{"keyword":{"type":"keyword","ignore_above":256}}},"hit_counts":{"type":"long"},"id":{"type":"text","fields":{"keyword":{"type":"keyword","ignore_above":256}}},"intersection":{"type":"boolean"},"label":{"type":"text","fields":{"keyword":{"type":"keyword","ignore_above":256}}},"locations":{"type":"nested","properties":{"coords":{"type":"float"},"location":{"type":"text"},"street_segment":{"type":"text"},"timestamp":{"type":"date"}}},"pole_id":{"type":"text","fields":{"keyword":{"type":"keyword","ignore_above":256}}},"timestamp":{"type":"date"}}}}
Insert a single doc in accordance w/ the POST structure from the docs:
POST /vision_events/_doc/1?pretty=true
{
"pole_id": "mlk-central-2",
"camera_id": "mlk-central-cam-2",
"intersection": true,
"id": "644d1c06-4c60-4ed8-93b4-1aa79b87a622",
"label": "car",
"timestamp": 1586838108683,
"locations": [
{
"timestamp": 1586838109448,
"coords": 1626.3220383482665,
"street_segment": "None"
},
{
"timestamp": 1586838109832,
"coords": 1623.3129222859882,
"street_segment": "None"
}
],
"hit_counts": 2
}