Hello all,

Let's say I want to hold some state value derived during one
transformation, and then use that same state value in a subsequent
transformation? For example:

myStream
.keyBy(fieldID) // Some field ID, may be 0
.map(new MyStatefulMapper())
.map(new MySubsequentMapper())
....

Now, I define MyStatefulMapper in the usual fashion:

public class MyStatefulMapper extends RichFlatMapFunction<Tuple2<Long,
Long>, Tuple2<Long, Long>> {

    /**     * The ValueState handle. The first field is the count, the
second field a running sum.     */
    private transient ValueState<Tuple2<Long, Long>> sum;

    @Override
    public void flatMap(Tuple2<Long, Long> input,
Collector<Tuple2<Long, Long>> out) throws Exception {

       // logic of accessing and updating the ValueState 'sum' above
    }

    @Override
    public void open(Configuration config) {
        ValueStateDescriptor<Tuple2<Long, Long>> descriptor =
                new ValueStateDescriptor<>(
                        "mySum", // the state name
                        TypeInformation.of(new TypeHint<Tuple2<Long,
Long>>() {}), // type information
                        Tuple2.of(0L, 0L)); // default value of the
state, if nothing was set
        sum = getRuntimeContext().getState(descriptor);
    }}


So, by now, RuntimeContext has registered a State holder named 'mySum'.

In the implementation of 'MySubsequentMapper', I need to access this State
holder named 'mySum', perhaps thus (my thinking, I may be wrong):

public class MySubsequentMapper extends
RichFlatMapFunction<Tuple2<Long, Long>, Tuple2<Long, Long>> {

    /**     * The ValueState handle. The first field is the count, the
second field a running sum.     */
    private transient ValueState<Tuple2<Long, Long>> aSubsequentSum;

    private transient ValueState<Tuple2<Long, Long>> sum; // defined earlier


    @Override
    public void flatMap(Tuple2<Long, Long> input,
Collector<Tuple2<Long, Long>> out) throws Exception {

       // logic of accessing and updating the ValueState 'aSubsequentSum' above

       // but this logic depends on the current contents of ValueState
'sum' created earlier
    }

    @Override
    public void open(Configuration config) {
        // Logic to create ValueDescriptor for 'aSubsequentSum' which
is owned by this operator

        // ...

        // Question: now, how do I prepare for accessing 'sum' which
is a State holder, but created inside an earlier operator?
        sum = getRuntimeContext().getState(descriptor) // how can I
pass the name 'mySum' (used in StateDescriptor)?
    }}

I have two questions:

1) What I am trying to achieve: is that possible and even, advisable? If
not, then what is the alternative?
2) Is there a guarantee that Flink will execute MyStatefulOperator.open()
always before MySubsequentOperator.open() because of the lexical order of
appearance in the source code?

-- Nirmalya




-- 
Software Technologist
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nirmalyasengupta
"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost. That is
where they should be.
Now put the foundation under them."

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