ElasticSearch MapperParsingExceptionn with geo_distance filter - grails

Question

I'm using the grails elasticsearch plugin in my application, and I am running across an odd exception.
I have a method that builds a request using a geo_distance filter that way:
def activityList = ElasticSearchService.search(
[types:[DomainA, DomainB],
sort: orderBy, order: orderAs, size: (int)maxRes],
{
// bla bla bla some working closure building a working query
}
if(centerLat != -1){
filter{
geo_distance(
'distance': searchRadius,
'activityLocation': [lat: (Double)centerLat, lon: (Double)centerLon]
)
}
}
}
)
And whenever I try to use the method with the filter (that is, when I set for example searchRadius to '5km' and centerLat/ centerLon to correct coordinates, my ElasticSearch node goes crazy and keeps logging the following error until I shut it down:
| Error 2014-08-27 10:31:49,076 [elasticsearch[Agent Zero][bulk][T#2]] ERROR index.IndexRequestQueue - Failed bulk item: MapperParsingException[failed to parse]; nested: ElasticsearchParseException[field must be either 'lat', 'lon' or 'geohash'];
I tried looking around the web for the reason why this MappingParserException is thrown, and I ended up looking at the source code for the org.elasticsearch.common.geo.GeoUtils class. Apparenty, the exception is thrown because my lat and lon fields are not numbers (see lines 372 and 381).
Why is this happening? Did I declare my filter wrong?

Answer 1

I think you have a problem is with your index types mapping, in order to understand what is the problem you have to post some example of the data you are indexing and type mappings (you can get your current mappings from host:port/{index}/_mapping/{type}).
Try to define the mapping as explained here: http://noamt.github.io/elasticsearch-grails-plugin/guide/mapping.html look at 3.3.2 GeoPoint, make sure you define your data points correctly.

Answer 2

Assuming the mapping for activityLocation is "geo_point" then you shouldn't need to preface your coordindate with "lat" and "lon" and should just be able to send
'activityLocation': [(Double)centerLat,(Double)centerLon]
I think this "lat" "lon" preface might have been supported as a geo_point format in earlier versions, but as of 1.0.0 I don't think it still is.

Answer 3

It's been a while and this problem made me lose my nerves quite a bit, but I have finally solved it.
I was mapping the following classes that way:
class A{
static searchable={
activityLocation geoPoint:true, component:true
// some other mappings on some other fields
}
Location activityLocation
// some other fields
}
a
class Location{
static searchable = true
String locationName
Double lat
Double lon
}
There were two problems:
I didn't want to use the root false option when mapping my activityLocation objects, because I wanted to be able to search them directly, which caused my A objects to contain the following property (note the presence of the id field):
'activityLocation' : { 'id':'1', 'locationName' : 'foo', 'lat': '42.5464', 'lon': '65.5647' }
which isn't a geoPoint because it has more than just a lat and lon field.
I was mapping the locationName property as part of my activityLocation objects, which makes them not geoPoints.
I ended up solving the problem by changing the mapping to the following values for activityLocation:
ActivityLocation{
static searchable = {
only = ['lat', 'lon']
root false
}
String locationName
Double lat
Double lon
}
This solved my problem and my search went well from then on.
I have to add that I was pretty confused by the docs regarding this and I am a bit disappointed that I can't map a geoPoint with more attributes. I wish it were possible to have other fields in the mapping.
Furthermore, I wish the plugin gave me better access to the ES logs, it took me a while to figure out where to look for the error code.

Answer 4

I have managed to fix this with few lines of coded added to "DeepDomainClassMarshaller.groovy" and overriding this file.
Previous code:-
if (DomainClassArtefactHandler.isDomainClass(propertyClass)) {
String searchablePropertyName = getSearchablePropertyName()
if (propertyValue.class."$searchablePropertyName") {
// todo fixme - will throw exception when no searchable field.
marshallingContext.lastParentPropertyName = prop.name
marshallResult += [(prop.name): ([id: propertyValue.ident(), 'class': propertyClassName] + marshallingContext.delegateMarshalling(propertyValue, propertyMapping.maxDepth))]
} else {
marshallResult += [(prop.name): [id: propertyValue.ident(), 'class': propertyClassName]]
}
// Non-domain marshalling
}
New Code:-
if (DomainClassArtefactHandler.isDomainClass(propertyClass)) {
String searchablePropertyName = getSearchablePropertyName()
if (propertyValue.class."$searchablePropertyName") {
// todo fixme - will throw exception when no searchable field.
marshallingContext.lastParentPropertyName = prop.name
if(propertyMapping?.isGeoPoint())
marshallResult += [(prop.name): (marshallingContext.delegateMarshalling(propertyValue, propertyMapping.maxDepth))]
else
marshallResult += [(prop.name): ([id: propertyValue.ident(), 'class': propertyClassName] + marshallingContext.delegateMarshalling(propertyValue, propertyMapping.maxDepth))]
} else {
marshallResult += [(prop.name): [id: propertyValue.ident(), 'class': propertyClassName]]
}
// Non-domain marshalling
}
Let me know in case issue still persists.
Note:- I am still using elasticsearch:0.0.3.3.