**Source URL:** https://limited.veevavault.dev/sitevault/vault-api/api-reference/24.3/metadata-definition-language-mdl/asynchronous-mdl-requests.md

# Asynchronous MDL Requests



Instead of a [synchronous request](/vault-api/api-reference/24.3/metadata-definition-language-mdl/execute-mdl-script), you must use an [asynchronous request](/vault-api/api-reference/24.3/metadata-definition-language-mdl/asynchronous-mdl-requests/execute-mdl-script-asynchronously) if you are executing one of the following operations on 10,000+ `raw` object records:

* Enabling lifecycles

* Enabling or disabling object types

* Adding or removing a field

* Updating the max length of any variable-length field, such as *Text*, *Long Text*, or *Rich Text*

* Adding or removing an `Index`

* Changing the fields that compose an `Index` or otherwise would cause reindexing to occur

A raw object is a Vault object where the `data_store` attribute is set to `raw`. To determine if an object is a raw object, retrieve the value of the `data_store` parameter from the [Retrieve Object Metadata](/vault-api/api-reference/24.3/vault-objects/retrieve-object-metadata) endpoint. Learn more about [raw objects in Vault Help](https://platform.veevavault.help/en/lr/62987).

After initiating an asynchronous request, your raw object’s `configuration_state` becomes `IN_DEPLOYMENT`. While a raw object is `IN_DEPLOYMENT`, you cannot edit its fields, list layouts, or indexes. If your raw object deployment request has not yet begun execution, you can [cancel](/vault-api/api-reference/24.3/metadata-definition-language-mdl/asynchronous-mdl-requests/cancel-raw-object-deployment) the deployment.

If you don't need to use the [asynchronous request](/vault-api/api-reference/24.3/metadata-definition-language-mdl/asynchronous-mdl-requests/execute-mdl-script-asynchronously), it is best practice to use the [synchronous request](/vault-api/api-reference/24.3/metadata-definition-language-mdl/execute-mdl-script).



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