roryqi commented on code in PR #10720:
URL: https://github.com/apache/gravitino/pull/10720#discussion_r3146959940


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design-docs/iceberg-supported-nested-namespace.md:
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+# [Iceberg REST] Supported Nested Namespace Design
+
+## Background
+
+This document describes one practical solution to support Iceberg nested 
namespaces in Gravitino.
+The scope is not only UI privilege granting, but also namespace mapping, 
identifier handling,
+authorization scope, and compatibility behavior across Iceberg REST and 
Gravitino.
+
+References:
+
+- https://github.com/apache/gravitino/blob/main/docs/security/access-control.md
+- https://github.com/apache/gravitino/blob/main/docs/iceberg-rest-service.md
+- 
https://github.com/apache/gravitino/blob/main/docs/manage-relational-metadata-using-gravitino.md
+- https://github.com/apache/gravitino/discussions/7296
+
+## Goal
+
+- Support nested namespace operations from Iceberg REST to Gravitino through 
schema mapping.
+- Support privilege granting for different nested namespace scopes (including 
UI workflow).
+- Keep metadata model stable and avoid heavy refactor.
+
+
+## Solution Options
+
+### Option A: Add a new metadata object `NestedNamespace`
+
+Use a new metadata object `NestedNamespace` to represent nested namespace 
explicitly.
+`NestedNamespace` has a one-to-one mapping with Iceberg `Namespace` to avoid 
ambiguity
+with existing Gravitino `Namespace` concepts.
+
+Catalog -> NestedNamespace a -> NestedNamespace a.b -> Table a.b.c
+                              -> NestedNamespace a.c -> NestedNamespace a.c.d 
-> Table a.c.d.e
+
+Pros:
+
+- Clearer concept modeling.
+
+Cons:
+
+- Large refactor across metadata model, API, authorization, and UI.
+
+### Option B (Recommended): Reuse `Schema` entity and enhance schema 
expression capability
+
+Keep physical metadata unchanged (still persisted as `Schema`) and introduce
+`HierarchicalSchema` as a logical expression layer in Iceberg REST adaptation,
+identifier rendering, and authorization scope matching.
+
+Pros:
+
+- Low-impact evolution path without introducing a new metadata entity.
+- Decouples nested namespace semantics from `.` and reduces parser ambiguity.
+- Reuses existing metadata and authorization model to reduce implementation 
risk.
+
+Cons:
+
+- Requires explicit conversion rules between logical path and physical schema 
name.
+- Authorization matching and identifier serialization become more complex.
+#### Option B Separator: Configurable logical separator (default `:`)
+
+Examples:
+
+- `A:B:C` as logical `HierarchicalSchema` path when separator is `:`.
+- Physical schema name remains mapped through conversion layer.
+
+Pros:
+
+- Better readability than escaping `.` in many clients and UI forms.
+- Lower routing conflict risk than `/`.
+- Easier to keep backward compatibility with existing non-nested schema 
handling.
+
+Cons:
+
+- Needs clear validation rule to avoid ambiguity with existing schema names 
containing configured
+  separator.
+
+## Design
+
+### Identifier Rules
+
+- Introduce logical identifier concept: `HierarchicalSchema`.
+- `HierarchicalSchema` uses a configurable logical separator (default `:`) in 
API/logic layer.
+- For Gravitino REST create/update schema APIs, `request.getName()` keeps the 
logical schema name
+  and may contain `:` (for example `A:B` or `A:B:C`).
+- Before persisting to `EntityStore`, schema path is normalized to 
`.`-separated physical schema
+  name.
+- Escaping strategy: each path segment is encoded before physical flattening 
to avoid ambiguity.
+- Configured logical separator is reserved as hierarchy separator and is not 
allowed inside one
+  namespace segment.
+- `.` inside one segment is allowed and must not be treated as hierarchy 
separator.
+- Parsing is direct split/join by configured logical separator at API boundary.
+- Keep flat storage model and convert `HierarchicalSchema` path to physical 
schema name by mapping rules.
+- Identifier rendering rule:
+  - Use encoded `HierarchicalSchema` path directly in schema position.
+  - Do not rely on single-quote wrapping for schema disambiguation in this 
phase.
+
+Examples:
+
+- Nested namespace `A:B` maps to logical `HierarchicalSchema` path `A:B` 
(assuming configured
+  separator is `:`).
+- Nested namespace `A:B:C` maps to logical `HierarchicalSchema` path `A:B:C` 
(assuming configured
+  separator is `:`).
+- Logical `HierarchicalSchema` path is then converted to physical schema name 
through mapping rules.
+- Namespace levels `["team", "sales"]` are serialized using configured 
separator, e.g.
+  `team:sales`.
+- Parsing `team:sales` returns `["team", "sales"]` when separator is `:`.
+- Identifier rendering example:
+  - `metalake.catalog.A:B.table1`
+  - `metalake.catalog.team:sales.table2`
+- In UI display and API transport, use logical path directly (for example 
`A:B:C`).
+
+### Physical Name Mapping and Reversibility
+
+- **Persisted schema name in `EntityStore` always uses `.` as the internal 
storage separator** for
+  stable storage semantics.
+- External request/response handling uses configured logical separator and 
converts at API boundary.
+- Connector-facing behavior remains Iceberg-compatible and does not require 
users to configure or
+  input internal storage representation.
+- Mapping must be reversible:
+  - `logical path segments` -> `encode each segment` -> `join by '.'` for 
physical storage.
+  - physical schema name -> `split by '.'` -> `decode each segment` -> logical 
path segments.
+  - This avoids ambiguity when one segment contains `.` (for example 
`my.schema`).
+
+### Existing Name Compatibility and Migration Guard
+
+- Before enabling nested namespace mode for a catalog, run a pre-check scan on 
existing schema names

Review Comment:
   Upgrade the new version and select all the Iceberg namespaces to check 
whether contains the delimiter.



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