apache/cassandra · info

key ' ' is deprecated; should switch to

Error message

key '%s' is deprecated; should switch to '%s'

What it means

SettingsTable.data() warns when a partition key that is a backwards-compatible alias of a renamed configuration property is queried: "key '<name>' is deprecated; should switch to '<new name>'". The value is still served under the old name; the warning nudges users to the canonical settings-table key.

Solutions

1. Use the new key from the warning message in subsequent queries.
2. Update automation/scripts to the canonical setting names.
3. Cross-check current names with SELECT name FROM system_views.settings to see all valid keys.

Example fix

// before
SELECT * FROM system_views.settings WHERE name = 'old_property_name';

// after (use the suggested new key)
SELECT * FROM system_views.settings WHERE name = 'new_property_name';

// resolve the canonical key first
boolean known = session.execute("SELECT name FROM system_views.settings").all()
    .stream().anyMatch(r -> r.getString("name").equals(desiredKey));

When it happens

Trigger: SELECT ... FROM system_views.settings WHERE name = '<old-config-name>' (or a single-partition read of that row) where the name is in BACKWARDS_COMPATIBLE_NAMES after a config property was renamed.

Common situations: Ops scripts reading virtual settings by pre-rename cassandra.yaml property names after upgrading Cassandra; documentation using old keys like renamed compaction/commitlog settings.

Understand the failure class

Background: "is deprecated and will be removed" — deprecation warnings for old API names, keywords, and options, and how to migrate before the removal release — this error's family across 29 libraries.

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AI-assisted analysis of apache/cassandra@88fd0f6a0e (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8fd0f6ca4deb73d8. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/virtual/SettingsTable.java:82

    {
        super(TableMetadata.builder(keyspace, "settings")
                           .comment("current settings")
                           .kind(TableMetadata.Kind.VIRTUAL)
                           .partitioner(new LocalPartitioner(UTF8Type.instance))
                           .addPartitionKeyColumn(NAME, UTF8Type.instance)
                           .addRegularColumn(VALUE, UTF8Type.instance)
                           .build());
        this.config = config;
        this.useJsonFormat = CassandraRelevantProperties.VIRTUAL_TABLE_COMPLEX_SETTINGS_FORMAT_JSON.getBoolean();
    }

    @Override
    public DataSet data(DecoratedKey partitionKey)
    {
        SimpleDataSet result = new SimpleDataSet(metadata());
        String name = UTF8Type.instance.compose(partitionKey.getKey());
        if (BACKWARDS_COMPATIBLE_NAMES.containsKey(name))
            ClientWarn.instance.warn("key '" + name + "' is deprecated; should switch to '" + BACKWARDS_COMPATIBLE_NAMES.get(name) + "'");
        if (PROPERTIES.containsKey(name))
            result.row(name).column(VALUE, getValue(PROPERTIES.get(name)));
        return result;
    }

    @Override
    public DataSet data()
    {
        SimpleDataSet result = new SimpleDataSet(metadata());
        for (Map.Entry<String, Property> e : PROPERTIES.entrySet())
            result.row(e.getKey()).column(VALUE, getValue(e.getValue()));
        return result;
    }

    @VisibleForTesting
    String getValue(Property prop)
    {
        Redacted maybeCredential = prop.getAnnotation(Redacted.class);

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