Data Import

1. Functional Overview

IoTDB supports three methods for data import:

• Data Import Tool: Use the import-data.sh/bat script in the tools directory to manually import CSV, SQL, or TsFile (open-source time-series file format) data into IoTDB.
• TsFile Auto-Loading Feature
• Load TsFile SQL

File Format	IoTDB Tool	Description
CSV	import-data.sh/bat	Can be used for single or batch import of CSV files into IoTDB
SQL		Can be used for single or batch import of SQL files into IoTDB
TsFile		Can be used for single or batch import of TsFile files into IoTDB
	TsFile Auto-Loading Feature	Can automatically monitor a specified directory for newly generated TsFiles and load them into IoTDB
	Load SQL	Can be used for single or batch import of TsFile files into IoTDB

2. Data Import Tool

2.1 Common Parameters

Short	Full Parameter	Description	Required	Default
-ft	--file_type	File type: csv, sql, tsfile.	​Yes	-
-h	--host	IoTDB server hostname.	No	127.0.0.1
-p	--port	IoTDB server port.	No	6667
-u	--username	Username.	No	root
-pw	--password	Password.	No	root
-sql_dialect	--sql_dialect	Select server model : tree or table	No	tree
-db	--database	​Target database , applies only to -sql_dialect=table	Yes when -sql_dialect = table	-
-table	--table	Target table , required for CSV imports in table model	No	-
-s	--source	Local path to the file/directory to import. ​​Supported formats​: CSV, SQL, TsFile. Unsupported formats trigger error: The file name must end with "csv", "sql", or "tsfile"!	​Yes	-
-tn	--thread_num	Maximum parallel threads	No	8 Range: 0 to Integer.Max(2147483647).
-tz	--timezone	Timezone (e.g., +08:00, -01:00).	No	System default
-help	--help	Display help (general or format-specific: -help csv).	No	-

2.2 CSV Format

2.2.1 Command

# Unix/OS X
> tools/import-data.sh -ft<format> [-sql_dialect<sql_dialect>] -db<database> -table<table> 
     [-h <host>] [-p <port>] [-u <username>] [-pw <password>]
       -s <source> [-fd <fail_dir>] [-lpf <lines_per_failed_file>] [-aligned <use the aligned interface>] 
      [-ti <type_infer>] [-tp <timestamp precision (ms/us/ns)>] [-tz <timezone>] [-batch <batch_size>] 
      [-tn <thread_num>]
      
# Windows
> tools\import-data.bat -ft<format> [-sql_dialect<sql_dialect>] -db<database> -table<table>  
        [-h <host>] [-p <port>] [-u <username>] [-pw <password>]
       -s <source> [-fd <fail_dir>] [-lpf <lines_per_failed_file>] [-aligned <use the aligned interface>] 
      [-ti <type_infer>] [-tp <timestamp precision (ms/us/ns)>] [-tz <timezone>] [-batch <batch_size>] 
      [-tn <thread_num>]

2.2.2 CSV-Specific Parameters

Short	Full Parameter	Description	Required	Default
-fd	--fail_dir	Directory to save failed files.	No	YOUR_CSV_FILE_PATH
-lpf	--lines_per_failed_file	Max lines per failed file.	No	100000 Range: 0 to Integer.Max(2147483647).
-aligned	--use_aligned	Import as aligned time series.	No	false
-batch	--batch_size	Rows processed per API call.	No	100000 Range: 0 to Integer.Max(2147483647).
-ti	--type_infer	Type mapping (e.g., BOOLEAN=text,INT=long).	No	-
-tp	--timestamp_precision	Timestamp precision: ms, us, ns.	No	ms

2.2.3 Examples

# Valid Example
> tools/import-data.sh -ft csv -sql_dialect table -s ./csv/dump0_0.csv  -db database1 -table table1

# Error Example
> tools/import-data.sh -ft csv -sql_dialect table -s ./csv/dump0_1.csv  -table table1
Parse error: Missing required option: db

> tools/import-data.sh -ft csv -sql_dialect table -s ./csv/dump0_1.csv -db database1 -table table5
There are no tables or the target table table5 does not exist

2.2.4 Import Notes

1. CSV Import Specifications

• Special Character Escaping Rules: If a text-type field contains special characters (e.g., commas ,), they must be escaped using a backslash (\).
• Supported Time Formats: yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss, yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss, or yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSZ.
• Timestamp Column Requirement: The timestamp column must be the first column in the data file.

2. CSV File Example

time,region,device,model,temperature,humidity
1970-01-01T08:00:00.001+08:00,"SH","101","F",90.0,35.2
1970-01-01T08:00:00.002+08:00,"SH","101","F",90.0,34.8

2.3 SQL Format

2.3.1 Command

# Unix/OS X
> tools/import-data.sh -ft<format> [-sql_dialect<sql_dialect>] -db<database> -table<table> 
         [-h <host>] [-p <port>] [-u <username>] [-pw <password>] 
        -s<source> [-fd <fail_dir>] [-lpf <lines_per_failed_file>] [-tz <timezone>] 
        [-batch <batch_size>] [-tn <thread_num>]
      
# Windows
> tools\import-data.bat -ft<format> [-sql_dialect<sql_dialect>] -db<database> -table<table>  
        [-h <host>] [-p <port>] [-u <username>] [-pw <password>] 
        -s<source> [-fd <fail_dir>] [-lpf <lines_per_failed_file>] [-tz <timezone>] 
        [-batch <batch_size>] [-tn <thread_num>]

2.3.2 SQL-Specific Parameters

Short	Full Parameter	Description	Required	Default
-fd	--fail_dir	Directory to save failed files.	No	YOUR_CSV_FILE_PATH
-lpf	--lines_per_failed_file	Max lines per failed file.	No	100000 Range: 0 to Integer.Max(2147483647).
-batch	--batch_size	Rows processed per API call.	No	100000 Range: 0 to Integer.Max(2147483647).

2.3.3 Examples

# Valid Example
> tools/import-data.sh -ft sql -sql_dialect table -s ./sql/dump0_0.sql -db database1 

# Error Example
> tools/import-data.sh -ft sql -sql_dialect table -s ./sql/dump1_1.sql -db database1
Source file or directory ./sql/dump1_1.sql does not exist

# When the ​target table exists but metadata is incompatible or ​data is malformed, the system will generate a .failed file and log error details. 
# Log Example
Fail to insert measurements '[column.name]' caused by [data type is not consistent, input '[column.value]', registered '[column.DataType]']

2.4 TsFile Format

2.4.1 Command

# Unix/OS X
> tools/import-data.sh -ft <format> [-sql_dialect<sql_dialect>] -db<database> -table<table> 
         [-h <host>] [-p <port>] [-u <username>] [-pw <password>] 
        -s <source> -os <on_success> [-sd <success_dir>] -of <on_fail> [-fd <fail_dir>]
        [-tn <thread_num> ] [-tz <timezone>] [-tp <timestamp precision (ms/us/ns)>]
      
# Windows
> tools\import-data.bat -ft <format> [-sql_dialect<sql_dialect>] -db<database> -table<table> 
         [-h <host>] [-p <port>] [-u <username>] [-pw <password>] 
        -s <source> -os <on_success> [-sd <success_dir>] -of <on_fail> [-fd <fail_dir>]
        [-tn <thread_num> ] [-tz <timezone>] [-tp <timestamp precision (ms/us/ns)>]

2.4.2 TsFile-Specific Parameters

Short	Full Parameter	Description	Required	Default
-os	--on_success	Action for successful files: none: Do not delete the file. mv: Move the successful file to the target directory. cp:Create a hard link (copy) of the successful file to the target directory. delete:Delete the file.	​Yes	-
-sd	--success_dir	Target directory for mv/cp actions on success. Required if -os is mv/cp. The file name will be flattened and concatenated with the original file name.	Conditional	${EXEC_DIR}/success
-of	--on_fail	Action for failed files: none:Skip the file. mv:Move the failed file to the target directory. cp:Create a hard link (copy) of the failed file to the target directory. delete:Delete the file..	​Yes	-
-fd	--fail_dir	Target directory for mv/cp actions on failure. Required if -of is mv/cp. The file name will be flattened and concatenated with the original file name.	Conditional	${EXEC_DIR}/fail
-tp	--timestamp_precision	TsFile timestamp precision: ms, us, ns. For non-remote TsFile imports: Use -tp to specify the timestamp precision of the TsFile. The system will manually verify if the timestamp precision matches the server. If it does not match, an error will be returned. ​For remote TsFile imports: Use -tp to specify the timestamp precision of the TsFile. The Pipe system will automatically verify if the timestamp precision matches. If it does not match, a Pipe error will be returned.	No	ms

2.4.3 Examples

# Valid Example
> tools/import-data.sh -ft tsfile -sql_dialect table -s ./tsfile -db database1 -os none -of none

# Error Example
> tools/import-data.sh -ft tsfile -sql_dialect table -s ./tsfile -db database1 
Parse error: Missing required options: os, of

3. TsFile Auto-Loading

This feature enables IoTDB to automatically monitor a specified directory for new TsFiles and load them into the database without manual intervention.

3.1 Configuration

Add the following parameters to iotdb-system.properties (template: iotdb-system.properties.template):

Parameter	Description	Value Range	Required	Default	Hot-Load?
load_active_listening_enable	Enable auto-loading.	true/false	Optional	true	Yes
load_active_listening_dirs	Directories to monitor (subdirectories included). Multiple paths separated by commas. Note: In the table model, the directory name where the file is located will be used as the database.	String	Optional	ext/load/pending	Yes
load_active_listening_fail_dir	Directory to store failed TsFiles. Only can set one.	String	Optional	ext/load/failed	Yes
load_active_listening_max_thread_num	Maximum Threads for TsFile Loading Tasks:The default value for this parameter, when commented out, is max(1, CPU cores / 2). If the value set by the user falls outside the range [1, CPU cores / 2], it will be reset to the default value of max(1, CPU cores / 2).	1 to Long.MAX_VALUE	Optional	max(1, CPU_CORES / 2)	No (restart required)
load_active_listening_check_interval_seconds	Active Listening Polling Interval (in seconds):The active listening feature for TsFiles is implemented through polling the target directory. This configuration specifies the time interval between two consecutive checks of the load_active_listening_dirs. After each check, the next check will be performed after load_active_listening_check_interval_seconds seconds. If the polling interval set by the user is less than 1, it will be reset to the default value of 5 seconds.	1 to Long.MAX_VALUE	Optional	5	No (restart required)

3.2 Examples

load_active_listening_dir/
├─sensors/
│  ├─temperature/
│  │   └─temperature-table.TSFILE

• Table model TsFile
  • temperature-table.TSFILE: will be imported into the temperature database (because it is located in the sensors/temperature/ directory)

3.3 Notes

1. ​​Mods Files​: If TsFiles have associated .mods files, move .mods files to the monitored directory ​before their corresponding TsFiles. Ensure .mods and TsFiles are in the same directory.
2. ​​Restricted Directories​: Do NOT set Pipe receiver directories, data directories, or other system paths as monitored directories.
3. ​​Directory Conflicts​: Ensure load_active_listening_fail_dir does not overlap with load_active_listening_dirs or its subdirectories.
4. ​​Permissions​: The monitored directory must have write permissions. Files are deleted after successful loading; insufficient permissions may cause duplicate loading.

4. Load SQL

IoTDB supports importing one or multiple TsFile files containing time series into another running IoTDB instance directly via SQL execution through the CLI.

4.1 Command

load '<path/dir>' with (
    'attribute-key1'='attribute-value1',
    'attribute-key2'='attribute-value2',
)

• <path/dir> : The path to a TsFile or a folder containing multiple TsFiles.
• <attributes>: Optional parameters, as described below.

Key	Key Description	Value Type	Value Range	Value is Required	Default Value
database-level	When the database corresponding to the TsFile does not exist, the database hierarchy level can be specified via the database-level parameter. The default is the level set in iotdb-common.properties. For example, setting level=1 means the prefix path of level 1 in all time series in the TsFile will be used as the database.	Integer	[1: Integer.MAX_VALUE]	No	1
on-success	Action for successfully loaded TsFiles: delete (delete the TsFile after successful import) or none (retain the TsFile in the source folder).	String	delete / none	No	delete
model	Specifies whether the TsFile uses the table model or tree model.	String	tree / table	No	Aligns with -sql_dialect
database-name	Table model only: Target database for import. Automatically created if it does not exist. The database-name must not include the root. prefix (an error will occur if included).	String	-	No	null
convert-on-type-mismatch	Whether to perform type conversion during loading if data types in the TsFile mismatch the target schema.	Boolean	true / false	No	true
verify	Whether to validate the schema before loading the TsFile.	Boolean	true / false	No	true
tablet-conversion-threshold	Size threshold (in bytes) for converting TsFiles into tablet format during loading. Default: -1 (no conversion for any TsFile).	Integer	[-1,0 :​Integer.MAX_VALUE]	No	-1
async	Whether to enable asynchronous loading. If enabled, TsFiles are moved to an active-load directory and loaded into the database-name asynchronously.	Boolean	true / false	No	false

4.2 Example

-- Create target database: database2
IoTDB> create database database2
Msg: The statement is executed successfully.

IoTDB> use database2
Msg: The statement is executed successfully.

IoTDB:database2> show tables details
+---------+-------+------+-------+
|TableName|TTL(ms)|Status|Comment|
+---------+-------+------+-------+
+---------+-------+------+-------+
Empty set.

-- Import tsfile by excuting load sql 
IoTDB:database2> load '/home/dump0.tsfile' with ( 'on-success'='none', 'database-name'='database2')
Msg: The statement is executed successfully.

-- Verify whether the import was successful
IoTDB:database2> select * from table2
+-----------------------------+------+--------+---------+-----------+--------+------+-----------------------------+
|                         time|region|plant_id|device_id|temperature|humidity|status|                 arrival_time|
+-----------------------------+------+--------+---------+-----------+--------+------+-----------------------------+
|2024-11-30T00:00:00.000+08:00|  上海|    3002|      101|       90.0|    35.2|  true|                         null|
|2024-11-29T00:00:00.000+08:00|  上海|    3001|      101|       85.0|    35.1|  null|2024-11-29T10:00:13.000+08:00|
|2024-11-27T00:00:00.000+08:00|  北京|    1001|      101|       85.0|    35.1|  true|2024-11-27T16:37:01.000+08:00|
|2024-11-29T11:00:00.000+08:00|  上海|    3002|      100|       null|    45.1|  true|                         null|
|2024-11-28T08:00:00.000+08:00|  上海|    3001|      100|       85.0|    35.2| false|2024-11-28T08:00:09.000+08:00|
|2024-11-26T13:37:00.000+08:00|  北京|    1001|      100|       90.0|    35.1|  true|2024-11-26T13:37:34.000+08:00|
+-----------------------------+------+--------+---------+-----------+--------+------+-----------------------------+