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fix: do not trust unverified parquet sort for ORDER BY p_timestamp - #1832

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mvanhorn:fix/1827-order-by-p-timestamp
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parseablehq:mainfrom
mvanhorn:fix/1827-order-by-p-timestamp

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@mvanhorn

@mvanhorn mvanhorn commented Oct 22, 2026 •

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Fixes #1827

A query that orders by the ingest timestamp can return rows out of order after the stream has been stored as Parquet. A later timestamp can appear immediately after an earlier one, often only a millisecond or two apart. The rows and counts are otherwise correct, and the query raises no error.

The Parquet footer still declares a descending timestamp sort when rows were appended out of that order, and manifest creation copies that claim into sort_order_id. Planning treated a single file carrying that claim as time-ordered and advertised output ordering on the scan, so the sort was dropped from the physical plan. Column min and max statistics look the same for that file and for one whose rows really are sorted.

Changes:

  • partitioned_files now always reports the scan as unordered.
  • Parquet scans and the legacy listing-table scan are wrapped in UnorderedExec, which runs the child plan unchanged and publishes properties with no output ordering. The sort stays for both full results and LIMIT.
  • UnorderedExec passes child statistics, repartitioning, and filter pushdown through to the wrapped scan. It does not report input order as kept, so sort pushdown cannot trust the unverified Parquet ordering.
  • Files already on disk and the manifest format are left as they are.
  • The regression test writes out-of-order batches, including null timestamps, through the real writer and checks descending order on both providers.

cargo test --lib passes locally (537 passed, 1 ignored).

Description


This PR has:

  • been tested to ensure log ingestion and log query works.
  • added comments explaining the "why" and the intent of the code wherever would not be obvious for an unfamiliar reader.
  • added documentation for new or modified features or behaviors.
    This change touches no documentation.

Summary by CodeRabbit

  • Bug Fixes
    • Parquet and legacy listing scan results are no longer presented as ordered based on metadata alone. Do not rely on their order unless you apply an explicit sort.
    • Explicitly sorted query results remain ordered, including when Parquet metadata indicates an ordering. Sort-dependent results, such as limited queries, now follow the requested sort rather than assumed file ordering.

partitioned_files now always reports the scan as unordered. Parquet
scans and the legacy listing-table scan are wrapped in UnorderedExec,
which runs the child plan unchanged and publishes properties with no
output ordering, so the sort stays for both full results and LIMIT.
Files already on disk and the manifest format are left as they are. The
regression test writes out-of-order batches, including null timestamps,
through the real writer and checks descending order on both providers.

Fixes parseablehq#1827
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CLA Assistant Lite bot All contributors have signed the CLA ✍️ ✅

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  • src/query/stream_schema_provider.rs
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  • src/query/stream_schema_provider.rs

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Walkthrough

Parquet and legacy listing scans no longer advertise output ordering inferred from manifest or footer metadata. Tests check that explicit query sorting is retained and that results remain sorted with and without LIMIT.

Changes

Scan ordering

Layer / File(s) Summary
Remove inferred scan ordering
src/query/stream_schema_provider.rs
A plan wrapper forwards execution while reporting no output ordering. Manifest sort metadata and timestamp ranges no longer mark scans as time-ordered.
Apply ordering removal to scan plans
src/query/stream_schema_provider.rs
Parquet and legacy listing scan plans use the wrapper. Test builds use session-configured batch size; other builds use PARSEABLE.options.execution_batch_size.
Verify scan sorting
src/query/stream_schema_provider.rs
Tests cover ascending, descending, and nullable timestamps. They check statistics and explicit sorting with and without LIMIT for standard and legacy listing scans.

Priority: ➖ Normal

Estimated code review effort: 3 (Moderate) | ~20 minutes

Change: Bug fix · Severity of issue fixed: Medium

Possibly related issues

  • parseablehq/parseable#1827 — The PR removes inferred ordering from Parquet and listing scans, addressing the issue’s reported unsorted results for ORDER BY p_timestamp.

Suggested reviewers: nikhilsinhaparseable

Merge Risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to 838c2

The reviewed change retains sorting for timestamp queries, including queries with LIMIT. No actionable merge-blocking risk remains after normal checks.

Pre-merge checks: Passed 4 · Failed 1

Failed Failed checks: 1 warning

Check name Status Explanation Resolution
Docstring Coverage Warning Docstring coverage is 30.43% which is insufficient. The required threshold is 80.00%. Docstring coverage is scoped to functions touched by this diff. Analyzed 23 functions across 1 files. Write docstrings for the functions missing them to satisfy the coverage threshold.
Passed Passed checks: 4 passed
Check name Status Explanation
Title check Passed The title clearly and concisely identifies the main fix: preventing unverified Parquet sort metadata from suppressing the required ORDER BY sort.
Linked Issues check Passed The PR meets the coding requirements in issue #1827. partitioned_files no longer advertises time ordering. Parquet scans and legacy listing-table scans use UnorderedExec, so DataFusion cannot remo…
Out of Scope Changes check Passed The changes stay within issue #1827. The UnorderedExec wrapper, removal of the manifest ordering claim, test batch-size handling, and regression tests directly support correct ORDER BY p_timestamp…
Description check Passed The pull request description is complete and relevant. It identifies the linked issue, explains the problem and root cause, summarizes the solution and key changes, describes regression coverage, and …
Full details: Linked Issues check

Explanation

The PR meets the coding requirements in issue #1827. partitioned_files no longer advertises time ordering. Parquet scans and legacy listing-table scans use UnorderedExec, so DataFusion cannot remove the required sort or apply ordering-dependent TopK behavior. The change does not alter persisted files or manifest format. The regression test uses the real writer path, deterministic out-of-order batches, null timestamps, both providers, and limited queries.

Full details: Out of Scope Changes check

Explanation

The changes stay within issue #1827. The UnorderedExec wrapper, removal of the manifest ordering claim, test batch-size handling, and regression tests directly support correct ORDER BY p_timestamp results for existing and new Parquet data. No unrelated product behavior or storage-format change is shown.

Full details: Description check

Explanation

The pull request description is complete and relevant. It identifies the linked issue, explains the problem and root cause, summarizes the solution and key changes, describes regression coverage, and reports test results. The comments and documentation checklist items are explicitly addressed as not completed or not applicable.

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A rabbit checks each timestamp row,
No hidden sort claims steal the show.
The scans now leave the order plain,
Explicit sorts arrange the chain.
With limits, sorted rows still flow,
Then off I hop through fields of snow.

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Actionable comments posted: 1


  • 🪄 Fix comments: Fix CodeRabbit comments on this PR
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Inline comments:
Review comments at @src/query/stream_schema_provider.rs:
- Around line 277-317: Update UnorderedExec to forward partition_statistics and
gather_filters_for_pushdown to self.input, and delegate repartitioned while
wrapping any returned plan with without_output_ordering. Report input-order
maintenance as true, since this wrapper does not reorder its child.

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Comment thread src/query/stream_schema_provider.rs
The wrapper only hides the scan ordering, so it now forwards child
statistics, repartitioned scans and parent filter pushdown. It still
does not report input order as kept, so sort pushdown cannot trust the
unverified parquet ordering.
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I have read the CLA Document and I hereby sign the CLA

nitisht added a commit to parseablehq/.github that referenced this pull request Oct 22, 2026
@parmesant parmesant self-assigned this Oct 23, 2026

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ORDER BY p_timestamp can return unsorted rows

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