Hi Adnan,

You might have misinterpreted my message. My point was about the server
(service) side, not client side.

Cheers,
Dmitri.

On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 7:58 PM Adnan Hemani via dev <[email protected]>
wrote:

> > For example, if we are to expose Open Lineage or OSI endpoints in IRC
> config, the IRC service code will have to be aware of OL / OSI modules.
>
> I don't agree with this statement; the IRC client is always free to
> disregard any of these endpoints/modules. Returning this information does
> not force a client to take any action based on this extra endpoint
> information.
>
> I do agree that if this forced the IRC client to be fundamentally altered
> because of these additional endpoints, then that would be a significant
> issue. But as Russell stated above, "what would actually break if someone
> interpreted the spec this way?"
>
> Best,
> Adnan Hemani
>
> On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 3:30 PM Dmitri Bourlatchkov <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi Russell,
> >
> > Your points sound reasonable to me.
> >
> > Yet, noone answered my second question from my initial email. That is:
> why
> > do we need to expose non-IRC endpoints in the IRC config response in the
> > first place?
> >
> > Regarding the maintainability aspect, I see this becoming a more
> > substantial concern if it evolves into a self-sustaining pattern.
> >
> > For example, if we are to expose Open Lineage or OSI endpoints in IRC
> > config, the IRC service code will have to be aware of OL / OSI modules. I
> > think this dependency is conceptually incorrect.
> >
> > I do not so much mind existing non-IRC endpoints in the IRC config, but
> > extending this to new APIs feels like an anti-pattern to me.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Dmitri.
> >
> > On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 5:46 PM Russell Spitzer <
> [email protected]
> > >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > From a very pragmatic point of view, I'm not sure what we'd gain from
> > > separate
> > > configuration mechanisms. We already have one and it's worked well so
> > far,
> > > do we have a compelling reason to swap right now?
> > >
> > > As best I can tell, the worst case is that the IRC spec later tightens
> > the
> > > semantics
> > > of the endpoints field, making our extra entries non-compliant. In that
> > > situation
> > > we'd have to change our response, add a Polaris-specific
> config/discovery
> > > endpoint, and
> > > have our clients move over to it. But that's exactly the work this
> > proposal
> > > is asking us to do today
> > > so we would be taking same burden now instead of potentially never. I'd
> > > rather defer
> > > it until something concrete forces our hand.
> > >
> > > The one counter I can see is that decoupling gets harder as more
> clients
> > > adopt it. But
> > > since the Polaris endpoints are already namespaced (/polaris/...),
> > lifting
> > > them into a separate endpoint
> > >  later stays mechanical, so I don't think we're meaningfully cheaper
> > doing
> > > it now.
> > >
> > >
> > > I'd like to gently point out that it doesn't feel especially important
> > > whether the exact wording
> > > or original intent of the spec supports what we're doing. The
> discussion
> > is
> > > starting to feel
> > > like a legalistic reading of the spec rather than a focus on concrete
> > > impact. I'd suggest we focus
> > > on arguments like "what would actually break if someone interpreted the
> > > spec this way?"
> > > rather than "what was the original intent of the text?"
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 3:23 PM Adnan Hemani via dev <
> > > [email protected]>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi Dmitri,
> > > >
> > > > I think you and I view the same statement very differently - I
> > definitely
> > > > don't think it's "pretty clear that the scope of the data returned
> > under
> > > > that type is limited to the API defined by the spec". I see it this
> > way:
> > > if
> > > > this statement truly meant ONLY IRC endpoints, the spec would
> > explicitly
> > > > use the words "IRC spec endpoints". The absence of clarification in
> any
> > > > specification rarely means you should "read-between-the-lines" to
> > assume
> > > > the writer's "intent".
> > > >
> > > > I will look into Iceberg mailing list threads and PRs for background
> > > > information to clarify things.
> > > >
> > > > Best,
> > > > Adnan Hemani
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 12:27 PM Dmitri Bourlatchkov <
> [email protected]
> > >
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > HI Adnan,
> > > > >
> > > > > The IRC spec defines a "type" for the config response. A property
> of
> > > that
> > > > > "type" is a list of "endpoints supported by the server". There is
> no
> > > > > statement about generalizing those endpoints to non-IRC APIs.
> > > > >
> > > > > Therefore, I think it is pretty clear that the scope of the data
> > > returned
> > > > > under that type is limited to the API defined by the spec, which is
> > > IRC.
> > > > >
> > > > > Let's expand this discussion a bit.
> > > > >
> > > > > What is the rationale for returning non-IRC endpoints in the IRC
> > config
> > > > > response?
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > Dmitri.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 3:21 PM Adnan Hemani via dev <
> > > > > [email protected]> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> Hi Dmitri,
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I'm not sure where you are assuming that "endpoints" only refers
> to
> > > > >> Iceberg
> > > > >> endpoints in the IRC spec. Do you have any thing you can point us
> to
> > > > >> regarding this?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Best,
> > > > >> Adnan Hemani
> > > > >>
> > > > >> On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 12:18 PM Dmitri Bourlatchkov <
> > > [email protected]>
> > > > >> wrote:
> > > > >>
> > > > >> > Hi Adam,
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > > #1 - Is GET '
> > > > >> > http://localhost:8181/api/catalog/v1/config?warehouse=polaris'
> > only
> > > > >> > an Iceberg Catalog concept?
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > My interpretation is YES, because the payload of that response
> is
> > > > >> defined
> > > > >> > by the IRC API spec [1].
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > I believe one can reasonably assume that the statement
> "endpoints
> > > > >> supported
> > > > >> > by the server" is scoped only to the IRC API itself. There's no
> > > > >> provision
> > > > >> > in that spec about covering all possible APIs.
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > That said, I'd be happy to discuss how clients can discover
> > Polaris
> > > > >> > features in general without overloading existing specifications.
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > [1]
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > >
> >
> https://github.com/apache/iceberg/blob/apache-iceberg-1.11.0/open-api/rest-catalog-open-api.yaml#L105
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 2:52 PM Adam Christian <
> > > > >> > [email protected]> wrote:
> > > > >> >
> > > > >> > > I agree with both Yufei & Dmitri:
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > #1 - It seems like improper coupling for an Iceberg REST
> Catalog
> > > > >> config
> > > > >> > to
> > > > >> > > return a configuration unrelated to Iceberg.
> > > > >> > > #2 - Polaris is a superset of an Iceberg REST Catalog.
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > So, in my opinion, the question is more aptly framed as two
> > > > questions:
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > #1 - Is GET '
> > > > >> > http://localhost:8181/api/catalog/v1/config?warehouse=polaris
> > > > >> > > '
> > > > >> > > only an Iceberg Catalog concept?
> > > > >> > > #2 - Should GET '
> > > > >> > > http://localhost:8181/api/catalog/v1/config?warehouse=polaris
> '
> > > > return
> > > > >> > > additional endpoints?
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > I believe that the answer to #1 is no, but that requires
> changes
> > > to
> > > > >> the
> > > > >> > > codebase. I believe the answer to #2 is yes.
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > Based on the codebase, we are exposing several endpoints in
> this
> > > > >> > > configuration API which are not Iceberg endpoints. For
> example,
> > in
> > > > the
> > > > >> > > Generic Tables case, it is explicitly not Iceberg. In my
> > opinion,
> > > > >> this is
> > > > >> > > alright because our API specification only says "Configuration
> > > API,"
> > > > >> not
> > > > >> > > "Iceberg Configuration API." Yes, it is Iceberg-compatible,
> but
> > it
> > > > is
> > > > >> not
> > > > >> > > Iceberg-centric. This retrieves the configuration for the
> > Catalog;
> > > > >> > > regardless of whether it is an Iceberg Catalog. Now, if this
> is
> > > > truly
> > > > >> a
> > > > >> > > superset, it implies that IcebergCatalogHandler.java should
> not
> > > > handle
> > > > >> > > returning the configuration. Additionally, we need to return a
> > > > >> superset
> > > > >> > of
> > > > >> > > the ConfigResponse (an Iceberg-core concept) for the REST API
> > > > >> response.
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > Now, if the answer to #1 is yes, that means we should probably
> > > have
> > > > a
> > > > >> > > separate API for configuration.
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > What do y'all think?
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > Go community,
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > Adam
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 1:55 PM Yufei Gu <
> [email protected]>
> > > > >> wrote:
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> > > > I think a Polaris client is also an IRC client, just with
> > > > additional
> > > > >> > > > capabilities. In that sense, Polaris can be viewed as a
> > superset
> > > > of
> > > > >> > IRC.
> > > > >> > > If
> > > > >> > > > the config endpoint is intended for capability discovery,
> > > > returning
> > > > >> > > Polaris
> > > > >> > > > specific endpoints seems reasonable. Standard IRC clients
> can
> > > > simply
> > > > >> > > ignore
> > > > >> > > > endpoints they don't recognize.
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > > > A concrete example is the Polaris Spark client, which checks
> > > > server
> > > > >> > > > capabilities before using Polaris specific functionality:
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > > > public List<TableIdentifier> listGenericTables(Namespace
> ns) {
> > > > >> > > >   Endpoint.check(endpoints,
> > > > >> PolarisEndpoints.V1_LIST_GENERIC_TABLES);
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > > > Yufei
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > > > On Fri, Jun 19, 2026 at 7:43 AM Dmitri Bourlatchkov <
> > > > >> [email protected]>
> > > > >> > > > wrote:
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > > > > Hi All,
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > During my review of [4816] I realized [1] that Polaris
> > returns
> > > > >> some
> > > > >> > > > non-IRC
> > > > >> > > > > endpoints in the IRC config responses.
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > For example:
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > GET '
> > > > >> http://localhost:8181/api/catalog/v1/config?warehouse=polaris'
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > Result:
> > > > >> > > > > [...]
> > > > >> > > > >   "endpoints": [
> > > > >> > > > >     "GET /v1/{prefix}/namespaces",
> > > > >> > > > >     "GET /v1/{prefix}/namespaces/{namespace}",
> > > > >> > > > >     "HEAD /v1/{prefix}/namespaces/{namespace}",
> > > > >> > > > > [...]
> > > > >> > > > >    "DELETE
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > >
> >
> polaris/v1/{prefix}/namespaces/{namespace}/generic-tables/{generic-table}",
> > > > >> > > > >     "GET
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> >
> > > > >>
> > > >
> > >
> >
> polaris/v1/{prefix}/namespaces/{namespace}/generic-tables/{generic-table}",
> > > > >> > > > >     "GET
> > > /polaris/v1/{prefix}/namespaces/{namespace}/policies",
> > > > >> > > > >     "POST
> > > /polaris/v1/{prefix}/namespaces/{namespace}/policies",
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > The latter group of endpoints is not related to the
> Iceberg
> > > REST
> > > > >> > > Catalog
> > > > >> > > > > API.
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > I wonder what the rationale might be for returning them in
> > the
> > > > IRC
> > > > >> > > config
> > > > >> > > > > response.
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > From my POV, returning them in the IRC config response is
> > > > >> incorrect
> > > > >> > > > because
> > > > >> > > > > these endpoints form APIs that follow a different
> > > specification
> > > > >> and
> > > > >> > > > clients
> > > > >> > > > > using the IRC API do not need that information to properly
> > use
> > > > the
> > > > >> > IRC
> > > > >> > > > API.
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > WDYT?
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > [1]
> > > > >> >
> > https://github.com/apache/polaris/pull/4816#discussion_r3438945230
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > [4816] https://github.com/apache/polaris/pull/4816
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > > > Thanks,
> > > > >> > > > > Dmitri.
> > > > >> > > > >
> > > > >> > > >
> > > > >> > >
> > > > >> >
> > > > >>
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

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