19.2.5.4 Replication Channel Based Filters

This section explains how to work with replication filters when multiple replication channels exist, for example in a multi-source replication topology. Replication filters can be global or specific to a channel, enabling you to configure multi-source replicas with replication filters on specific replication channels. Channel specific replication filters are particularly useful in a multi-source replication topology when the same database or table is present on multiple sources, and the replica is only required to replicate it from one source.

For instructions to set up replication channels, see Section 19.1.5, “MySQL Multi-Source Replication”, and for more information on how they work, see Section 19.2.2, “Replication Channels”.

Important

Each channel on a multi-source replica must replicate from a different source. You cannot set up multiple replication channels from a single replica to a single source, even if you use replication filters to select different data to replicate on each channel. This is because the server IDs of replicas must be unique in a replication topology. The source distinguishes replicas only by their server IDs, not by the names of the replication channels, so it cannot recognize different replication channels from the same replica.

Important

On a MySQL server instance that is configured for Group Replication, channel specific replication filters can be used on replication channels that are not directly involved with Group Replication, such as where a group member also acts as a replica to a source that is outside the group. They cannot be used on the group_replication_applier or group_replication_recovery channels. Filtering on these channels would make the group unable to reach agreement on a consistent state.

Important

For a multi-source replica in a diamond topology (where the replica replicates from two or more sources, which in turn replicate from a common source), when GTID-based replication is in use, ensure that any replication filters or other channel configuration are identical on all channels on the multi-source replica. With GTID-based replication, filters are applied only to the transaction data, and GTIDs are not filtered out. This happens so that a replica’s GTID set stays consistent with the source’s, meaning GTID auto-positioning can be used without re-acquiring filtered out transactions each time. In the case where the downstream replica is multi-source and receives the same transaction from multiple sources in a diamond topology, the downstream replica now has multiple versions of the transaction, and the result depends on which channel applies the transaction first. The second channel to attempt it skips the transaction using GTID auto-skip, because the transaction’s GTID was added to the gtid_executed set by the first channel. With identical filtering on the channels, there is no problem because all versions of the transaction contain the same data, so the results are the same. However, with different filtering on the channels, the database can become inconsistent and replication can hang.

Overview of Replication Filters and Channels

When multiple replication channels exist, for example in a multi-source replication topology, replication filters are applied as follows:

• Any global replication filter specified is added to the global replication filters of the filter type (do_db, do_ignore_table, and so on).

• Any channel specific replication filter adds the filter to the specified channel’s replication filters for the specified filter type.

• Each replication channel copies global replication filters to its channel specific replication filters if no channel specific replication filter of this type is configured.

• Each channel uses its channel specific replication filters to filter the replication stream.

The syntax to create channel specific replication filters extends the existing SQL statements and command options. When a replication channel is not specified the global replication filter is configured to ensure backwards compatibility. The CHANGE REPLICATION FILTER statement supports the FOR CHANNEL clause to configure channel specific filters online. The --replicate-* command options to configure filters can specify a replication channel using the form --replicate-filter_type=channel_name:filter_details. Suppose channels channel_1 and channel_2 exist before the server starts; in this case, starting the replica with the command line options --replicate-do-db=db1 --replicate-do-db=channel_1:db2 --replicate-do-db=db3 --replicate-ignore-db=db4 --replicate-ignore-db=channel_2:db5 --replicate-wild-do-table=channel_1:db6.t1% would result in:

• Global replication filters: do_db=db1,db3; ignore_db=db4

• Channel specific filters on channel_1: do_db=db2; ignore_db=db4; wild-do-table=db6.t1%

• Channel specific filters on channel_2: do_db=db1,db3; ignore_db=db5

These same rules could be applied at startup when included in the replica's my.cnf file, like this:

replicate-do-db=db1
replicate-do-db=channel_1:db2
replicate-ignore-db=db4
replicate-ignore-db=channel_2:db5
replicate-wild-do-table=db6.channel_1.t1%

To monitor the replication filters in such a setup use the replication_applier_global_filters and replication_applier_filters tables.

Configuring Channel Specific Replication Filters at Startup

The replication filter related command options can take an optional channel followed by a colon, followed by the filter specification. The first colon is interpreted as a separator, subsequent colons are interpreted as literal colons. The following command options support channel specific replication filters using this format:

• --replicate-do-db=channel:database_id

• --replicate-ignore-db=channel:database_id

• --replicate-do-table=channel:table_id

• --replicate-ignore-table=channel:table_id

• --replicate-rewrite-db=channel:db1-db2

• --replicate-wild-do-table=channel:table pattern

• --replicate-wild-ignore-table=channel:table pattern

All of the options just listed can be used in the replica's my.cnf file, as with most other MySQL server startup options, by omitting the two leading dashes. See Overview of Replication Filters and Channels, for a brief example, as well as Section 6.2.2.2, “Using Option Files”.

If you use a colon but do not specify a channel for the filter option, for example --replicate-do-db=:database_id, the option configures the replication filter for the default replication channel. The default replication channel is the replication channel which always exists once replication has been started, and differs from multi-source replication channels which you create manually. When neither the colon nor a channel is specified the option configures the global replication filters, for example --replicate-do-db=database_id configures the global --replicate-do-db filter.

If you configure multiple rewrite-db=from_name->to_name options with the same from_name database, all filters are added together (put into the rewrite_do list) and the first one takes effect.

The pattern used for the --replicate-wild-*-table options can include any characters allowed in identifiers as well as the wildcards % and _. These work the same way as when used with the LIKE operator; for example, tbl% matches any table name beginning with tbl, and tbl_ matches any table name matching tbl plus one additional character.

Changing Channel Specific Replication Filters Online

In addition to the --replicate-* options, replication filters can be configured using the CHANGE REPLICATION FILTER statement. This removes the need to restart the server, but the replication SQL thread must be stopped while making the change. To make this statement apply the filter to a specific channel, use the FOR CHANNEL channel clause. For example:

CHANGE REPLICATION FILTER REPLICATE_DO_DB=(db1) FOR CHANNEL channel_1;

When a FOR CHANNEL clause is provided, the statement acts on the specified channel's replication filters. If multiple types of filters (do_db, do_ignore_table, wild_do_table, and so on) are specified, only the specified filter types are replaced by the statement. In a replication topology with multiple channels, for example on a multi-source replica, when no FOR CHANNEL clause is provided, the statement acts on the global replication filters and all channels’ replication filters, using a similar logic as the FOR CHANNEL case. For more information see Section 15.4.2.1, “CHANGE REPLICATION FILTER Statement”.

Removing Channel Specific Replication Filters

When channel specific replication filters have been configured, you can remove the filter by issuing an empty filter type statement. For example to remove all REPLICATE_REWRITE_DB filters from a replication channel named channel_1 issue:

CHANGE REPLICATION FILTER REPLICATE_REWRITE_DB=() FOR CHANNEL channel_1;

Any REPLICATE_REWRITE_DB filters previously configured, using either command options or CHANGE REPLICATION FILTER, are removed.

The RESET REPLICA ALL statement removes channel specific replication filters that were set on channels deleted by the statement. When the deleted channel or channels are recreated, any global replication filters specified for the replica are copied to them, and no channel specific replication filters are applied.