topic Table ID not preserved using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE in Data Engineering

Table ID not preserved using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

shanisolomonron — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:44:50 GMT

The When to replace a table documentation states that using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE should preserve the table’s identity:

Table contents are replaced, but the table identity is maintained.

However, in my recent test the table ID changed after running this command. Is this expected behavior?

For example, the transaction log shows:

Version 0:

{"metaData":{"id":"6a085d18-3aef-4c4c-890b-fb4a6f9d6888", ...}}

Version 2: (post command)

{"metaData":{"id":"e3f5d990-2c03-483e-8cd3-a772d5d87e93", ...}}

Should CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE ever generate a new table ID, or is this a bug?

Re: Table ID not preserved using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

nayan_wylde — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:47:35 GMT

Yes that's correct. The table identity is preserved in case of delta tables. If the table is non delta it will not be preserved.

Can you also confirm if the table you are recreating have schema changes. Because sometimes CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE with change in column definitions, table properties or format may be treated as drop and recreate operation internally which might result in id lost.

Re: Table ID not preserved using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

szymon_dybczak — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 20:15:09 GMT

HI @nayan_wylde , @shanisolomonron

I don't think it works in the way you've described. We can easily check this. Each time I execute following code I get new id:

%sql CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE databricks_demo_ws.default.my_table ( id int, name string )

So, first time I've exectued above code I got id: f2a57c4-152b-46c4-9dd5-b1e945846d71

Then I execute above code second time. As you can see, no major schema changes occured but still I got completly new id: 641cacab-7175-4f44-98cc-fad9ba8aa66e

I think what they refer in docs as table identity is more related to catalog / metadata identity (not necessarily the same as the internal delta log id). Because all other things mentioned in documentation hold:

The table history is retained, and I can revert the table to an earlier version with the RESTORE command.
The operation is a single transaction, so there is never a time when the table doesn't exist.

Re: Table ID not preserved using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

shanisolomonron — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 20:38:58 GMT

Waiting for a databricks employee to clarify this item.

Re: Table ID not preserved using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

Krishna_S — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:42:11 GMT

Hi @shanisolomonron

In a UC-managed table, when you check the table properties and look at the storage path

eg: if the Storage path is s3://my_uc_bucket_kr/ae32f4d9-3c84-4583-9197-ffadf942bdf4d/tables/010f12c4-0ca8-4013-9f0c-65d48538d0588 , then metastore_id is `ae32f4d9-3c84-4583-9197-ffadf942bdf4d and the table ID is 010f12c4-0ca8-4013-9f0c-65d48538d0588

This table ID will be preserved and will not change after every create/replace command, even if the table structure changes.

Re: Table ID not preserved using CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE

shanisolomonron — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 20:11:39 GMT

@Krishna_S thanks for your reply.

In a non UC-managed table, is it valid to see a table ID change throughout the life time of the table?

(Also, what value gives me to utilize UC to manage my tables?)