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Milvus Data Source

The Milvus connector enables you to perform vector database operations including querying scalar fields and searching vectors for efficient similarity search and scalable data querying. This connector is particularly useful for applications that need to perform semantic search, build recommendation systems, implement RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines, or manage vector embeddings for AI and machine learning applications. Follow the instructions below to create a new data flow that ingests data from a Milvus source in Nexla.
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Milvus

Create a New Data Flow​

  1. To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Then, select the desired flow type from the list, and click the Create button.

  2. Select the Milvus connector tile from the list of available connectors. Then, select the credential that will be used to connect to the Milvus instance, and click Next; or, create a new Milvus credential for use in this flow.

  3. In Nexla, Milvus data sources can be created using pre-built endpoint templates, which expedite source setup for common Milvus API endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Milvus API endpoint, making source configuration easy and efficient.
    • To configure this source using a template, follow the instructions in Configure Using a Template.

    Milvus sources can also be configured manually, allowing you to ingest data from Milvus API endpoints not included in the pre-built templates or apply further customizations to exactly suit your needs.
    • To configure this source manually, follow the instructions in Configure Manually.

Configure Using a Template​

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure data sources to ingest data from common Milvus API endpoints. Each template is designed specifically for the corresponding Milvus API endpoint, making data source setup easy and efficient.

Endpoint Settings​

  • Select the endpoint from which this source will fetch data from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Available endpoint templates are listed in the expandable boxes below. Click on an endpoint to see more information about it and how to configure your data source for this endpoint.

    Query Scalar Fields

    This endpoint queries scalar fields via Milvus' vector database API. Use this endpoint when you need to retrieve scalar field data from your Milvus collections, query metadata associated with vectors, or extract non-vector data from your vector database.

    • This endpoint uses GET requests to query scalar fields from Milvus collections. The endpoint requires proper request parameters in the query string or request body to specify the collection, filter criteria, and output fields.
    • Configure the request body or query parameters according to your Milvus collection schema and the scalar fields you want to retrieve. Refer to the Milvus API documentation for the complete list of supported query parameters.

    The Query Scalar Fields endpoint allows you to retrieve scalar (non-vector) data from Milvus collections. This is useful for querying metadata, filtering results, or extracting structured data associated with vectors. For more information about the Query Scalar Fields endpoint, refer to the Milvus API Documentation.

    Search Vectors

    This endpoint searches vectors using Milvus' vector database API for similarity search operations. Use this endpoint when you need to perform vector similarity search, find similar vectors, or retrieve nearest neighbors for a given query vector.

    • This endpoint uses GET requests to search vectors in Milvus collections. The endpoint requires proper request parameters to specify the collection, query vectors, search parameters, and output fields.
    • Configure the request body or query parameters according to your search requirements, including the query vectors, metric type, top-k results, and any filter criteria. Refer to the Milvus API documentation for the complete list of supported search parameters.

    The Search Vectors endpoint performs similarity search operations on vector data stored in Milvus collections. This is the core functionality of Milvus, enabling applications to find similar vectors based on distance metrics like cosine similarity, Euclidean distance, or inner product. For more information about the Search Vectors endpoint, refer to the Milvus API Documentation.

Endpoint Testing​

Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, Nexla can retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched according to the current settings. This allows users to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be fetched & displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the sample data is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the sample data to ensure that the correct information is displayed.

Configure Manually​

Milvus data sources can be manually configured to ingest data from any valid Milvus API endpoint. Manual configuration provides maximum flexibility for accessing endpoints not covered by pre-built templates or when you need custom API configurations.

With manual configuration, you can also create more complex Milvus sources, such as sources that use chained API calls to fetch data from multiple endpoints or sources that require custom authentication headers or request parameters.

API Method​

  1. To manually configure this source, select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen.

  2. Select the API method that will be used for calls to the Milvus API from the Method pulldown menu. The most common methods are:

    • GET: For retrieving data from the API (query and search endpoints use GET)
    • POST: For sending query or search requests with complex parameters in the request body

API Endpoint URL​

  1. Enter the URL of the Milvus API endpoint from which this source will fetch data in the Set API URL field. This should be the complete URL including the protocol (https:// or http://) and any required path parameters. Milvus API endpoints typically follow the pattern {milvus_host}/{api_version}/vectordb/vectors/{operation}, where {milvus_host} is your Milvus host URL and {api_version} is typically v2.

Ensure the API endpoint URL is correct and accessible with your current credentials. You can test the endpoint using the Test button after configuring the URL. The endpoint URL should use the Milvus Host and API Version configured in your credential.

Path to Data​

Optional

If only a subset of the data that will be returned by API endpoint is needed, you can designate the part(s) of the response that should be included in the Nexset(s) produced from this source by specifying the path to the relevant data within the response. This is particularly useful when API responses contain metadata, pagination information, or other data that you don't need for your analysis.

For example, when a request call is used to query or search vectors, the API will typically return vector data along with metadata. By entering the path to the relevant data, you can configure Nexla to extract the specific vectors or results you need.

Path to Data is essential when API responses have nested structures. Without specifying the correct path, Nexla might not be able to properly parse and organize your data into usable records. For Milvus API responses, common paths include $ for the entire response or $.data[*] for arrays of results.

  • To specify which data should be treated as relevant in responses from this source, enter the path to the relevant data in the Set Path to Data in Response field.

    • For responses in JSON format enter the JSON path that points to the object or array that should be treated as relevant data. JSON paths use dot notation (e.g., $.data to access the data array).
    Path to Data Example:

    If the API response is in JSON format and includes a data array that contains the query results, the path to the response would be entered as $.data[*].

Autogenerate Path Suggestions​

Nexla can also autogenerate data path suggestions based on the response from the API endpoint. These suggested paths can be used as-is or modified to exactly suit your needs.

  • To use this feature, click the Test button next to the Set API URL field to fetch a sample response from the API endpoint. Suggested data paths generated based on the content & format of the response will be displayed in the Suggestions box below the Set Path to Data in Response field.

  • Click on a suggestion to automatically populate the Set Path to Data in Response field with the corresponding path. The populated path can be modified directly within the field if further customization is needed.

Request Headers​

Optional

  • If Nexla should include any additional request headers in API calls to this source, enter the headers & corresponding values as comma-separated pairs in the Request Headers field (e.g., header1:value1,header2:value2). Additional headers are often required for API versioning, content type specifications, or custom authentication requirements.

    You do not need to include any headers already present in the credentials. Common headers like Authorization, Content-Type, and Accept are typically handled automatically by Nexla based on your credential configuration. For Milvus, the Authorization header with Bearer token is automatically included from your credential, and Content-Type is typically set to application/json for API requests.

Request Body​

Optional

  • If the API endpoint requires a request body (which is common for POST requests to Milvus), enter the request body in the Request Body field. The request body should be formatted as JSON and include the necessary parameters for the query or search operation, such as collection name, query vectors, filter criteria, and output fields.

    For Milvus query and search operations, the request body typically includes fields like collection_name, data (for query vectors), filter, output_fields, and search parameters like limit, metric_type, and params. Refer to the Milvus API documentation for the complete list of supported parameters.

Endpoint Testing​

After configuring all settings for the selected endpoint, Nexla can retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched according to the current configuration. This allows users to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

  • To test the current endpoint configuration, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu. Sample data will be fetched & displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right.

  • If the sample data is not as expected, review the selected endpoint and associated settings, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, click the Test button again, and check the sample data to ensure that the correct information is displayed.

Save & Activate the Source​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Create button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the new Milvus data source. Nexla will now begin ingesting data from the configured endpoint and will organize any data that it finds into one or more Nexsets.