Controlling where the Neptune DFE engine is used

By default, the neptune_dfe_query_engine instance parameter of an instance is set to viaQueryHint, which causes the DFE engine to be used only for openCypher queries and for Gremlin and SPARQL queries that explicitly include the useDFE query hint set to true.

You can fully enable the DFE engine so that it is used wherever possible by setting the neptune_dfe_query_engine instance parameter to enabled.

You can also disable the DFE by including the useDFE query hint for a particular Gremlin query or SPARQL query. This query hint lets you prevent the DFE from executing that particular query.

You can determine whether or not the DFE is enabled in an instance using an Instance Status call, like this:

curl -G https://your-neptune-endpoint:port/status

The status response then specifies whether the DFE is enabled or not:

{
  "status":"healthy",
  "startTime":"Wed Dec 29 02:29:24 UTC 2021",
  "dbEngineVersion":"development",
  "role":"writer",
  "dfeQueryEngine":"viaQueryHint",
  "gremlin":{"version":"tinkerpop-3.5.2"},
  "sparql":{"version":"sparql-1.1"},
  "opencypher":{"version":"Neptune-9.0.20190305-1.0"},
  "labMode":{
    "ObjectIndex":"disabled",
    "ReadWriteConflictDetection":"enabled"
  },
  "features":{
    "ResultCache":{"status":"disabled"},
    "IAMAuthentication":"disabled",
    "Streams":"disabled",
    "AuditLog":"disabled"
  },
  "settings":{"clusterQueryTimeoutInMs":"120000"}
}

The Gremlin explain and profile results tell you whether a query is being executed by the DFE. See Information contained in a Gremlin explain report for explain and DFE profile reports for profile.

Similarly, SPARQL explain tells you whether a SPARQL query is being executed by the DFE. See Example of SPARQL explain output when the DFE is enabled and DFENode operator for more details.