Phoenix and HBase Backup/Restore: Does Phoenix Auto‑Sync SYSTEM.CATALOG After HBase Restore?

Goal

After taking a full HBase backup that includes Phoenix tables, we want to restore the HBase tables and have Phoenix automatically recognize the restored tables without manual catalog manipulation.

Constraints & Uncertainty

Phoenix stores table metadata in the SYSTEM.CATALOG region and relies on HBase’s native backup/restore APIs for HFiles. In some releases, the catalog is not refreshed automatically after restoring HBase tables, requiring a manual REFRESH or catalog rebuild. The behavior may vary between Phoenix 4.x and 5.x, and between snapshots and full backups.

Verification Needs

We need to confirm that restored tables appear in Phoenix’s SHOW TABLES output and that data integrity matches pre‑backup baselines (e.g., SELECT COUNT(*) and HBase scans). The process should be repeatable across multiple releases.

Unresolved Questions

1. Does Phoenix automatically update SYSTEM.CATALOG entries when HBase tables are restored from a backup or snapshot?

2. If the catalog is not refreshed, what is the minimal manual intervention required to make Phoenix aware of the restored tables?

3. Are there release‑specific flags or configuration settings that enable automatic catalog synchronization during restore?