Database Operations

Milvus supports multiple databases, allowing you to organize collections into logical groups. This guide covers all database operations.

Creating a Database

Create a new database:

await client.createDatabase({
  db_name: 'my_database',
});

Create a database with properties:

await client.createDatabase({
  db_name: 'my_database',
  properties: {
    owner: 'analytics-team',
    environment: 'production',
  },
});

Listing Databases

List all databases:

const result = await client.listDatabases();

console.log('Databases:', result.db_names);
// Output: ['default', 'my_database']

Describing a Database

Get detailed information about a database:

const result = await client.describeDatabase({
  db_name: 'my_database',
});

console.log('Database info:', result);

Altering Database Properties

Modify database properties:

await client.alterDatabaseProperties({
  db_name: 'my_database',
  properties: {
    owner: 'search-team',
    environment: 'staging',
  },
});

Dropping Database Properties

Remove specific properties from a database:

await client.dropDatabaseProperties({
  db_name: 'my_database',
  properties: ['environment'],
});

Dropping a Database

Delete a database (all collections in the database will be deleted):

await client.dropDatabase({
  db_name: 'my_database',
});

Multi-Database Usage Patterns

Switching Between Databases

When creating a client, specify the database:

const client = new MilvusClient({
  address: 'localhost:19530',
  database: 'my_database', // Set default database
});

Working with Multiple Databases

Create separate clients for different databases:

const db1Client = new MilvusClient({
  address: 'localhost:19530',
  database: 'database1',
});

const db2Client = new MilvusClient({
  address: 'localhost:19530',
  database: 'database2',
});

// Use db1Client for database1 operations
await db1Client.createCollection({
  /* ... */
});

// Use db2Client for database2 operations
await db2Client.createCollection({
  /* ... */
});

Database Isolation

Each database is isolated:

• Collections in different databases are completely separate
• Operations on one database don’t affect others
• Users and roles can have different permissions per database

Best Practices

1. Use databases for logical separation: Organize collections by application, environment, or team
2. Default database: The default database is created automatically
3. Database naming: Use descriptive names that reflect the purpose
4. Permissions: Configure user permissions at the database level for security

Next Steps

• Learn about Collection Management
• Explore User & Role Management