---
title: Data Definition Language (DDL) Statement Reference
slug: m1zHDufCrVspg7qZ8DQLs
description: Access Data Definition Language command reference for creating and managing database structures.
docTags: 
createdAt: Thu Jul 21 2022 17:05:13 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
updatedAt: Mon Apr 06 2026 18:19:19 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
---

DDL statements allow users to run commands and administrative operations on the Ocient® System. You can execute DDL statements over a database connection to manage nodes, storage spaces, tables and views, system configuration, users and groups, underlying storage segments, and more.

:::hint{type="warning"}
**Quoting Identifiers**

In all DDL statements, identifiers not in double quotes must begin with a letter and can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores. Identifiers are the names of databases, tables, nodes, and so on. For details, see [Identifiers](<././Query Ocient/General SQL Syntax/Identifiers.md>). The Ocient System internally converts identifiers to lower-case. Identifiers in double quotes can contain any characters besides newline and carriage return, can begin with any character, and are not case-adjusted. To use an identifier with the same name as any keyword, it must be in double quotes.

String literals must be enclosed in single quotes. A single quote within a string can be escaped as "*.&#x20;*&#x41; string literal can be preceded by e to enable additional escape sequences (for example: `e'\n'`).
:::

DDL statements are supported for these categories:

## [Cluster and Node Management](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Cluster and Node Management.md>)

- **CLUSTER**
  - CREATE CLUSTER
  - DROP CLUSTER
  - ALTER CLUSTER
    - ALTER CLUSTER ADD PARTICIPANTS
    - ALTER CLUSTER DROP PARTICIPANTS
    - ALTER CLUSTER ADD STORAGESPACE
    - ALTER CLUSTER REMOVE STORAGESPACE
    - ALTER CLUSTER ALTER CONFIG SET
    - ALTER CLUSTER ALTER LOG LEVEL SET
    - ALTER CLUSTER RENAME
- **STORAGESPACE**
  - CREATE STORAGESPACE
  - DROP STORAGESPACE
  - ALTER STORAGESPACE RENAME
- **NODE**
  - DROP NODE
  - ALTER NODE
    - ALTER NODE ADD ROLE
    - ALTER NODE REMOVE ROLE
    - ALTER NODE ALTER CONFIG SET
    - ALTER NODE RENAME
    - ALTER NODE ALTER LOG LEVEL SET
    - ALTER NODE ALTER METRIC LEVEL
    - ALTER NODE SET ADDRESS
- **CONNECTIVITY POOL**
  - CREATE CONNECTIVITY\_POOL
  - DROP CONNECTIVITY\_POOL
  - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL
    - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL SET
    - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL RENAME TO
    - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL ADD PARTICIPANTS
    - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL ALTER PARTICIPANT
    - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL DROP PARTICIPANTS
    - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL SET SSO INTEGRATION
    - ALTER CONNECTIVITY\_POOL REMOVE SSO INTEGRATION
- SSO INTEGRATION
  - CREATE SSO INTEGRATION
  - DROP SSO INTEGRATION
  - ALTER SSO INTEGRATION
- **SYSTEM**
  - ALTER SYSTEM ALTER CONFIG SET
  - ALTER SYSTEM RENAME TO
  - ALTER SYSTEM ALTER METRIC LEVEL
  - ALTER SYSTEM ALTER SECURITY
  - ALTER SYSTEM SET DEFAULT STORAGESPACE

## [Schemas](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Schemas.md>)&#x20;

- CREATE SCHEMA
- DROP SCHEMA
- ALTER SCHEMA RENAME

## [Databases](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Databases.md>)&#x20;

- CREATE DATABASE
- DROP DATABASE
- ALTER DATABASE
  - ALTER DATABASE RENAME
  - ALTER DATABASE SET SSO INTEGRATION
  - ALTER DATABASE ALTER SSO INTEGRATION
  - ALTER DATABASE REMOVE SSO INTEGRATION
  - ALTER DATABASE ALTER SECURITY

## [Tables](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Tables.md>)&#x20;

- CREATE TABLE
- CREATE TABLE AS SELECT (CTAS)
- CREATE TABLE AS SELECT USING LOADERS
- DROP TABLE
- ALTER TABLE
  - ALTER TABLE RENAME
  - ALTER TABLE RENAME COLUMN
  - ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN
  - ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN COMPRESSION
  - ALTER TABLE ALTER REDUNDANCY
  - ALTER TABLE DROP COLUMN
  - ALTER TABLE STREAMLOADER\_PROPERTIES
  - ALTER TABLE DISABLE INDEX
  - ALTER TABLE ENABLE INDEX
  - ALTER TABLE ENABLE RETENTION POLICY AGE
  - ALTER TABLE DISABLE RETENTION POLICY
- DELETE FROM TABLE
- EXPORT TABLE
- INSERT INTO TABLE
  - INSERT INTO TABLE USING LOADERS
- TRUNCATE TABLE

## [Views](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Views.md>)&#x20;

- CREATE VIEW
- DROP VIEW
- ALTER VIEW RENAME
- ALTER VIEW AS
- EXPORT VIEW

## [Indexes](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Indexes.md>)&#x20;

- CREATE INDEX
- DROP INDEX

## [Data Pipelines](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Data Pipelines.md>)&#x20;

- PIPELINE
  - CREATE PIPELINE
  - DROP PIPELINE
  - PREVIEW PIPELINE
  - START PIPELINE
  - STOP PIPELINE
  - ALTER PIPELINE
  - ALTER PIPELINE RENAME
  - EXPORT PIPELINE
  - CREATE PIPELINE FUNCTION
  - DROP PIPELINE FUNCTION

## [Distributed Tasks](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Distributed Tasks.md>)

- **TASK**
  - CREATE TASK
  - CANCEL TASK

## [Machine Learning Models](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Machine Learning Models.md>)&#x20;

- CREATE MLMODEL
- ALTER MLMODEL
- DROP MLMODEL
- EXPORT MLMODEL
- REFRESH MLMODEL

## [Users, Groups, and Service Classes](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Users_ Groups_ and Service Classes.md>)&#x20;

- **USER**
  - CREATE USER
  - DROP USER
  - ALTER USER
    - ALTER USER SET
- **GROUP**
  - CREATE GROUP
  - DROP GROUP
  - ALTER GROUP
    - ALTER GROUP USER
    - ALTER GROUP RENAME
    - ALTER GROUP SET SERVICE CLASS
    - ALTER GROUP ALTER SECURITY
- **SERVICE CLASS**
  - CREATE SERVICE CLASS
  - DROP SERVICE CLASS
  - ALTER SERVICE CLASS
    - ALTER SERVICE CLASS RENAME
    - ALTER SERVICE CLASS SET
    - ALTER SERVICE CLASS RESET
  - ALTER QUERY

## [Data Integrity and Storage](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Data Integrity and Storage.md>)&#x20;

- DRAIN PAGES
- ALTER SEGMENT QUARANTINE

## [Query Analysis](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Query Analysis.md>)&#x20;

- EXPLAIN
- EXPLAIN PIPELINE

## [Query Management](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Query Management.md>)&#x20;

- CANCEL
- KILL

## [Statistics Cache Management](<./Data Definition Language _DDL_ Statement Reference/Statistics Cache Management.md>)&#x20;

