WIP6: implementing image embedding as first step towards multi-model support

docs/lancedb_text_and_images_example.md

@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+# LanceDB Text and Images: End-to-End Example
+
+This guide demonstrates creating a Lance backend database, ingesting two text documents and two images, performing searches over both, and cleaning up the datasets.
+
+Prerequisites
+- Build HeroDB and start the server with JSON-RPC enabled.
+Commands:
+```bash
+cargo build --release
+./target/release/herodb --dir /tmp/herodb --admin-secret mysecret --port 6379 --enable-rpc
+```
+
+We'll use:
+- redis-cli for RESP commands against port 6379
+- curl for JSON-RPC against 8080 if desired
+- Deterministic local embedders to avoid external dependencies: testhash (text, dim 64) and testimagehash (image, dim 512)
+
+0) Create a Lance-backed database (JSON-RPC)
+Request:
+```json
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "herodb_createDatabase", "params": ["Lance", { "name": "media-db", "storage_path": null, "max_size": null, "redis_version": null }, null] }
+```
+Response returns db_id (assume 1). Select DB over RESP:
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 SELECT 1
+# → OK
+```
+
+1) Configure embedding providers
+We'll create two datasets with independent embedding configs:
+- textset → provider testhash, dim 64
+- imageset → provider testimagehash, dim 512
+
+Text config:
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.EMBEDDING CONFIG SET textset PROVIDER testhash MODEL any PARAM dim 64
+# → OK
+```
+Image config:
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.EMBEDDING CONFIG SET imageset PROVIDER testimagehash MODEL any PARAM dim 512
+# → OK
+```
+
+2) Create datasets
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.CREATE textset DIM 64
+# → OK
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.CREATE imageset DIM 512
+# → OK
+```
+
+3) Ingest two text documents (server-side embedding)
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.STORE textset ID doc-1 TEXT "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" META title "Fox" category "animal"
+# → OK
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.STORE textset ID doc-2 TEXT "A fast auburn fox vaulted a sleepy canine" META title "Paraphrase" category "animal"
+# → OK
+```
+
+4) Ingest two images
+You can provide a URI or base64 bytes. Use URI for URIs, BYTES for base64 data.
+Example using free placeholder images:
+```bash
+# Store via URI
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.STOREIMAGE imageset ID img-1 URI "https://picsum.photos/seed/1/256/256" META title "Seed1" group "demo"
+# → OK
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.STOREIMAGE imageset ID img-2 URI "https://picsum.photos/seed/2/256/256" META title "Seed2" group "demo"
+# → OK
+```
+If your environment blocks outbound HTTP, you can embed image bytes:
+```bash
+# Example: read a local file and base64 it (replace path)
+b64=$(base64 -w0 ./image1.png)
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.STOREIMAGE imageset ID img-b64-1 BYTES "$b64" META title "Local1" group "demo"
+```
+
+5) Search text
+```bash
+# Top-2 nearest neighbors for a query
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.SEARCH textset K 2 QUERY "quick brown fox" RETURN 1 title
+# → 1) [id, score, [k1,v1,...]]
+```
+With a filter (supports equality on schema or meta keys):
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.SEARCH textset K 2 QUERY "fox jumps" FILTER "category = 'animal'" RETURN 1 title
+```
+
+6) Search images
+```bash
+# Provide a URI as the query
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.SEARCHIMAGE imageset K 2 QUERYURI "https://picsum.photos/seed/1/256/256" RETURN 1 title
+
+# Or provide base64 bytes as the query
+qb64=$(curl -s https://picsum.photos/seed/3/256/256 | base64 -w0)
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.SEARCHIMAGE imageset K 2 QUERYBYTES "$qb64" RETURN 1 title
+```
+
+7) Inspect datasets
+```bash
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.LIST
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.INFO textset
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.INFO imageset
+```
+
+8) Delete by id and drop datasets
+```bash
+# Delete one record
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.DEL textset doc-2
+# → OK
+
+# Drop entire datasets
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.DROP textset
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.DROP imageset
+# → OK
+```
+
+Appendix: Using OpenAI embeddings instead of test providers
+Text:
+```bash
+export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.EMBEDDING CONFIG SET textset PROVIDER openai MODEL text-embedding-3-small PARAM dim 512
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.CREATE textset DIM 512
+```
+Azure OpenAI:
+```bash
+export AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY=...
+redis-cli -p 6379 LANCE.EMBEDDING CONFIG SET textset PROVIDER openai MODEL text-embedding-3-small \
+  PARAM use_azure true \
+  PARAM azure_endpoint https://myresource.openai.azure.com \
+  PARAM azure_deployment my-embed-deploy \
+  PARAM azure_api_version 2024-02-15 \
+  PARAM dim 512
+```
+Notes:
+- Ensure dataset DIM matches the configured embedding dimension.
+- Lance is only available for non-admin databases (db_id >= 1).
+- On Lance DBs, only LANCE.* and basic control commands are allowed.

src/cmd.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::{error::DBError, protocol::Protocol, server::Server, embedding::{EmbeddingConfig, EmbeddingProvider}};
+use base64::{engine::general_purpose, Engine as _};
 use tokio::time::{timeout, Duration};
 use futures::future::select_all;
 
@@ -145,6 +146,22 @@ pub enum Cmd {
         filter: Option<String>,
         return_fields: Option<Vec<String>>,
     },
+    // Image-first commands (no user-provided vectors)
+    LanceStoreImage {
+        name: String,
+        id: String,
+        uri: Option<String>,
+        bytes_b64: Option<String>,
+        meta: Vec<(String, String)>,
+    },
+    LanceSearchImage {
+        name: String,
+        k: usize,
+        uri: Option<String>,
+        bytes_b64: Option<String>,
+        filter: Option<String>,
+        return_fields: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    },
     LanceCreateIndex {
         name: String,
         index_type: String,
@@ -903,6 +920,46 @@ impl Cmd {
                             }
                             Cmd::LanceStoreText { name, id, text, meta }
                         }
+                        "lance.storeimage" => {
+                            // LANCE.STOREIMAGE name ID <id> (URI <uri> | BYTES <base64>) [META k v ...]
+                            if cmd.len() < 6 {
+                                return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.STOREIMAGE requires: name ID <id> (URI <uri> | BYTES <base64>) [META k v ...]".to_string()));
+                            }
+                            let name = cmd[1].clone();
+                            let mut i = 2;
+                            if cmd[i].to_uppercase() != "ID" || i + 1 >= cmd.len() {
+                                return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.STOREIMAGE requires ID <id>".to_string()));
+                            }
+                            let id = cmd[i + 1].clone();
+                            i += 2;
+
+                            let mut uri_opt: Option<String> = None;
+                            let mut bytes_b64_opt: Option<String> = None;
+
+                            if i < cmd.len() && cmd[i].to_uppercase() == "URI" {
+                                if i + 1 >= cmd.len() { return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.STOREIMAGE URI requires a value".to_string())); }
+                                uri_opt = Some(cmd[i + 1].clone());
+                                i += 2;
+                            } else if i < cmd.len() && cmd[i].to_uppercase() == "BYTES" {
+                                if i + 1 >= cmd.len() { return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.STOREIMAGE BYTES requires a value".to_string())); }
+                                bytes_b64_opt = Some(cmd[i + 1].clone());
+                                i += 2;
+                            } else {
+                                return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.STOREIMAGE requires either URI <uri> or BYTES <base64>".to_string()));
+                            }
+
+                            // Parse optional META pairs
+                            let mut meta: Vec<(String, String)> = Vec::new();
+                            if i < cmd.len() && cmd[i].to_uppercase() == "META" {
+                                i += 1;
+                                while i + 1 < cmd.len() {
+                                    meta.push((cmd[i].clone(), cmd[i + 1].clone()));
+                                    i += 2;
+                                }
+                            }
+
+                            Cmd::LanceStoreImage { name, id, uri: uri_opt, bytes_b64: bytes_b64_opt, meta }
+                        }
                         "lance.search" => {
                             // LANCE.SEARCH name K <k> QUERY <text> [FILTER expr] [RETURN n fields...]
                             if cmd.len() < 6 {
@@ -954,6 +1011,65 @@ impl Cmd {
                             }
                             Cmd::LanceSearchText { name, text, k, filter, return_fields }
                         }
+                        "lance.searchimage" => {
+                            // LANCE.SEARCHIMAGE name K <k> (QUERYURI <uri> | QUERYBYTES <base64>) [FILTER expr] [RETURN n fields...]
+                            if cmd.len() < 6 {
+                                return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.SEARCHIMAGE requires: name K <k> (QUERYURI <uri> | QUERYBYTES <base64>) [FILTER expr] [RETURN n fields...]".to_string()));
+                            }
+                            let name = cmd[1].clone();
+                            if cmd[2].to_uppercase() != "K" {
+                                return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.SEARCHIMAGE requires K <k>".to_string()));
+                            }
+                            let k: usize = cmd[3].parse().map_err(|_| DBError("ERR K must be an integer".to_string()))?;
+                            let mut i = 4;
+
+                            let mut uri_opt: Option<String> = None;
+                            let mut bytes_b64_opt: Option<String> = None;
+
+                            if i < cmd.len() && cmd[i].to_uppercase() == "QUERYURI" {
+                                if i + 1 >= cmd.len() { return Err(DBError("ERR QUERYURI requires a value".to_string())); }
+                                uri_opt = Some(cmd[i + 1].clone());
+                                i += 2;
+                            } else if i < cmd.len() && cmd[i].to_uppercase() == "QUERYBYTES" {
+                                if i + 1 >= cmd.len() { return Err(DBError("ERR QUERYBYTES requires a value".to_string())); }
+                                bytes_b64_opt = Some(cmd[i + 1].clone());
+                                i += 2;
+                            } else {
+                                return Err(DBError("ERR LANCE.SEARCHIMAGE requires QUERYURI <uri> or QUERYBYTES <base64>".to_string()));
+                            }
+
+                            let mut filter: Option<String> = None;
+                            let mut return_fields: Option<Vec<String>> = None;
+                            while i < cmd.len() {
+                                match cmd[i].to_uppercase().as_str() {
+                                    "FILTER" => {
+                                        if i + 1 >= cmd.len() {
+                                            return Err(DBError("ERR FILTER requires an expression".to_string()));
+                                        }
+                                        filter = Some(cmd[i + 1].clone());
+                                        i += 2;
+                                    }
+                                    "RETURN" => {
+                                        if i + 1 >= cmd.len() {
+                                            return Err(DBError("ERR RETURN requires field count".to_string()));
+                                        }
+                                        let n: usize = cmd[i + 1].parse().map_err(|_| DBError("ERR RETURN count must be integer".to_string()))?;
+                                        i += 2;
+                                        let mut fields = Vec::new();
+                                        for _ in 0..n {
+                                            if i < cmd.len() {
+                                                fields.push(cmd[i].clone());
+                                                i += 1;
+                                            }
+                                        }
+                                        return_fields = Some(fields);
+                                    }
+                                    _ => { i += 1; }
+                                }
+                            }
+
+                            Cmd::LanceSearchImage { name, k, uri: uri_opt, bytes_b64: bytes_b64_opt, filter, return_fields }
+                        }
                         "lance.createindex" => {
                             // LANCE.CREATEINDEX name TYPE t [PARAM k v ...]
                             if cmd.len() < 4 || cmd[2].to_uppercase() != "TYPE" {
@@ -1136,6 +1252,8 @@ impl Cmd {
                 | Cmd::LanceCreate { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceStoreText { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceSearchText { .. }
+                | Cmd::LanceStoreImage { .. }
+                | Cmd::LanceSearchImage { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceEmbeddingConfigSet { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceEmbeddingConfigGet { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceCreateIndex { .. }
@@ -1172,6 +1290,8 @@ impl Cmd {
                 Cmd::LanceCreate { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceStoreText { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceSearchText { .. }
+                | Cmd::LanceStoreImage { .. }
+                | Cmd::LanceSearchImage { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceEmbeddingConfigSet { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceEmbeddingConfigGet { .. }
                 | Cmd::LanceCreateIndex { .. }
@@ -1421,6 +1541,145 @@ impl Cmd {
                     Err(e) => Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
                 }
             }
+
+            // New: Image store
+            Cmd::LanceStoreImage { name, id, uri, bytes_b64, meta } => {
+                if !server.has_write_permission() {
+                    return Ok(Protocol::err("ERR write permission denied"));
+                }
+                let use_uri = uri.is_some();
+                let use_b64 = bytes_b64.is_some();
+                if (use_uri && use_b64) || (!use_uri && !use_b64) {
+                    return Ok(Protocol::err("ERR Provide exactly one of URI or BYTES for LANCE.STOREIMAGE"));
+                }
+                let max_bytes: usize = std::env::var("HERODB_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES")
+                    .ok()
+                    .and_then(|s| s.parse::<u64>().ok())
+                    .unwrap_or(10 * 1024 * 1024) as usize;
+
+                let media_uri_opt = if let Some(u) = uri.clone() {
+                    match server.fetch_image_bytes_from_uri(&u) {
+                        Ok(_) => {}
+                        Err(e) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                    }
+                    Some(u)
+                } else {
+                    None
+                };
+
+                let bytes: Vec<u8> = if let Some(u) = uri {
+                    match server.fetch_image_bytes_from_uri(&u) {
+                        Ok(b) => b,
+                        Err(e) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    let b64 = bytes_b64.unwrap_or_default();
+                    let data = match general_purpose::STANDARD.decode(b64.as_bytes()) {
+                        Ok(d) => d,
+                        Err(e) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&format!("ERR base64 decode error: {}", e))),
+                    };
+                    if data.len() > max_bytes {
+                        return Ok(Protocol::err(&format!("ERR image exceeds max allowed bytes {}", max_bytes)));
+                    }
+                    data
+                };
+
+                let img_embedder = match server.get_image_embedder_for(&name) {
+                    Ok(e) => e,
+                    Err(e) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                };
+                let (tx, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
+                let emb_arc = img_embedder.clone();
+                let bytes_cl = bytes.clone();
+                std::thread::spawn(move || {
+                    let res = emb_arc.embed_image(&bytes_cl);
+                    let _ = tx.send(res);
+                });
+                let vector = match rx.await {
+                    Ok(Ok(v)) => v,
+                    Ok(Err(e)) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                    Err(recv_err) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&format!("ERR embedding thread error: {}", recv_err))),
+                };
+
+                let meta_map: std::collections::HashMap<String, String> = meta.into_iter().collect();
+                match server.lance_store()?.store_vector_with_media(
+                    &name,
+                    &id,
+                    vector,
+                    meta_map,
+                    None,
+                    Some("image".to_string()),
+                    media_uri_opt,
+                ).await {
+                    Ok(()) => Ok(Protocol::SimpleString("OK".to_string())),
+                    Err(e) => Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                }
+            }
+
+            // New: Image search
+            Cmd::LanceSearchImage { name, k, uri, bytes_b64, filter, return_fields } => {
+                let use_uri = uri.is_some();
+                let use_b64 = bytes_b64.is_some();
+                if (use_uri && use_b64) || (!use_uri && !use_b64) {
+                    return Ok(Protocol::err("ERR Provide exactly one of QUERYURI or QUERYBYTES for LANCE.SEARCHIMAGE"));
+                }
+                let max_bytes: usize = std::env::var("HERODB_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES")
+                    .ok()
+                    .and_then(|s| s.parse::<u64>().ok())
+                    .unwrap_or(10 * 1024 * 1024) as usize;
+
+                let bytes: Vec<u8> = if let Some(u) = uri {
+                    match server.fetch_image_bytes_from_uri(&u) {
+                        Ok(b) => b,
+                        Err(e) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    let b64 = bytes_b64.unwrap_or_default();
+                    let data = match general_purpose::STANDARD.decode(b64.as_bytes()) {
+                        Ok(d) => d,
+                        Err(e) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&format!("ERR base64 decode error: {}", e))),
+                    };
+                    if data.len() > max_bytes {
+                        return Ok(Protocol::err(&format!("ERR image exceeds max allowed bytes {}", max_bytes)));
+                    }
+                    data
+                };
+
+                let img_embedder = match server.get_image_embedder_for(&name) {
+                    Ok(e) => e,
+                    Err(e) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                };
+                let (tx, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
+                std::thread::spawn(move || {
+                    let res = img_embedder.embed_image(&bytes);
+                    let _ = tx.send(res);
+                });
+                let qv = match rx.await {
+                    Ok(Ok(v)) => v,
+                    Ok(Err(e)) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                    Err(recv_err) => return Ok(Protocol::err(&format!("ERR embedding thread error: {}", recv_err))),
+                };
+
+                match server.lance_store()?.search_vectors(&name, qv, k, filter, return_fields).await {
+                    Ok(results) => {
+                        let mut arr = Vec::new();
+                        for (id, score, meta) in results {
+                            let mut meta_arr: Vec<Protocol> = Vec::new();
+                            for (k, v) in meta {
+                                meta_arr.push(Protocol::BulkString(k));
+                                meta_arr.push(Protocol::BulkString(v));
+                            }
+                            arr.push(Protocol::Array(vec![
+                                Protocol::BulkString(id),
+                                Protocol::BulkString(score.to_string()),
+                                Protocol::Array(meta_arr),
+                            ]));
+                        }
+                        Ok(Protocol::Array(arr))
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => Ok(Protocol::err(&e.0)),
+                }
+            }
             Cmd::LanceCreateIndex { name, index_type, params } => {
                 if !server.has_write_permission() {
                     return Ok(Protocol::err("ERR write permission denied"));

src/crypto.rs

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 use chacha20poly1305::{
-    aead::{Aead, KeyInit, OsRng},
+    aead::{Aead, KeyInit},
     XChaCha20Poly1305, XNonce,
 };
-use rand::RngCore;
+use rand::{rngs::OsRng, RngCore};
 use sha2::{Digest, Sha256};
 
 const VERSION: u8 = 1;
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ pub struct CryptoFactory {
 impl CryptoFactory {
     /// Accepts any secret bytes; turns them into a 32-byte key (SHA-256).
     pub fn new<S: AsRef<[u8]>>(secret: S) -> Self {
-        let mut h = Sha256::new();
+        let mut h = Sha256::default();
         h.update(b"xchacha20poly1305-factory:v1"); // domain separation
         h.update(secret.as_ref());
         let digest = h.finalize(); // 32 bytes

src/embedding.rs

@@ -1,18 +1,4 @@
 // Embedding abstraction and minimal providers.
-//
-// This module defines a provider-agnostic interface to produce vector embeddings
-// from text, so callers never need to supply vectors manually. It includes:
-// - Embedder trait
-// - EmbeddingProvider and EmbeddingConfig (serde-serializable)
-// - TestHashEmbedder: deterministic, CPU-only, no-network embedder suitable for CI
-// - Factory create_embedder(..) to instantiate an embedder from config
-//
-// Integration plan:
-// - Server will resolve per-dataset EmbeddingConfig from sidecar JSON and cache Arc<dyn Embedder>
-// - LanceStore will call embedder.embed(text) then persist id, vector, text, meta
-//
-// Note: Real LanceDB-backed embedding providers can be added by implementing Embedder
-// and extending create_embedder(..). This file keeps no direct dependency on LanceDB.
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::sync::Arc;

src/lance_store.rs

@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ impl LanceStore {
             Field::new("id", DataType::Utf8, false),
             Self::vector_field(dim),
             Field::new("text", DataType::Utf8, true),
+            Field::new("media_type", DataType::Utf8, true),
+            Field::new("media_uri", DataType::Utf8, true),
             Field::new("meta", DataType::Utf8, true),
         ]))
     }
@@ -121,6 +123,8 @@ impl LanceStore {
         vector: &[f32],
         meta: &HashMap<String, String>,
         text: Option<&str>,
+        media_type: Option<&str>,
+        media_uri: Option<&str>,
         dim: i32,
     ) -> Result<(Arc<Schema>, RecordBatch), DBError> {
         if vector.len() as i32 != dim {
@@ -156,6 +160,24 @@ impl LanceStore {
         }
         let text_arr = Arc::new(text_builder.finish()) as Arc<dyn Array>;
 
+        // media_type column (optional)
+        let mut mt_builder = StringBuilder::new();
+        if let Some(mt) = media_type {
+            mt_builder.append_value(mt);
+        } else {
+            mt_builder.append_null();
+        }
+        let mt_arr = Arc::new(mt_builder.finish()) as Arc<dyn Array>;
+
+        // media_uri column (optional)
+        let mut mu_builder = StringBuilder::new();
+        if let Some(mu) = media_uri {
+            mu_builder.append_value(mu);
+        } else {
+            mu_builder.append_null();
+        }
+        let mu_arr = Arc::new(mu_builder.finish()) as Arc<dyn Array>;
+
         // meta column (JSON string)
         let meta_json = if meta.is_empty() {
             None
@@ -171,7 +193,7 @@ impl LanceStore {
         let meta_arr = Arc::new(meta_builder.finish()) as Arc<dyn Array>;
 
         let batch =
-            RecordBatch::try_new(schema.clone(), vec![id_arr, vec_arr, text_arr, meta_arr]).map_err(|e| {
+            RecordBatch::try_new(schema.clone(), vec![id_arr, vec_arr, text_arr, mt_arr, mu_arr, meta_arr]).map_err(|e| {
                 DBError(format!("RecordBatch build failed: {e}"))
             })?;
 
@@ -207,10 +229,12 @@ impl LanceStore {
         let mut list_builder = FixedSizeListBuilder::new(v_builder, dim_i32);
         let empty_vec = Arc::new(list_builder.finish()) as Arc<dyn Array>;
         let empty_text = Arc::new(StringArray::new_null(0));
+        let empty_media_type = Arc::new(StringArray::new_null(0));
+        let empty_media_uri = Arc::new(StringArray::new_null(0));
         let empty_meta = Arc::new(StringArray::new_null(0));
 
         let empty_batch =
-            RecordBatch::try_new(schema.clone(), vec![empty_id, empty_vec, empty_text, empty_meta])
+            RecordBatch::try_new(schema.clone(), vec![empty_id, empty_vec, empty_text, empty_media_type, empty_media_uri, empty_meta])
                 .map_err(|e| DBError(format!("Build empty batch failed: {e}")))?;
 
         let write_params = WriteParams {
@@ -235,6 +259,21 @@ impl LanceStore {
         vector: Vec<f32>,
         meta: HashMap<String, String>,
         text: Option<String>,
+    ) -> Result<(), DBError> {
+        // Delegate to media-aware path with no media fields
+        self.store_vector_with_media(name, id, vector, meta, text, None, None).await
+    }
+
+    /// Store/Upsert a single vector with optional text and media fields (media_type/media_uri).
+    pub async fn store_vector_with_media(
+        &self,
+        name: &str,
+        id: &str,
+        vector: Vec<f32>,
+        meta: HashMap<String, String>,
+        text: Option<String>,
+        media_type: Option<String>,
+        media_uri: Option<String>,
     ) -> Result<(), DBError> {
         let path = self.dataset_path(name);
 
@@ -248,7 +287,15 @@ impl LanceStore {
                 .map_err(|_| DBError("Vector length too large".into()))?
         };
 
-        let (schema, batch) = Self::build_one_row_batch(id, &vector, &meta, text.as_deref(), dim_i32)?;
+        let (schema, batch) = Self::build_one_row_batch(
+            id,
+            &vector,
+            &meta,
+            text.as_deref(),
+            media_type.as_deref(),
+            media_uri.as_deref(),
+            dim_i32,
+        )?;
 
         // If LanceDB table exists and provides delete, we can upsert by deleting same id
         // Try best-effort delete; ignore errors to keep operation append-only on failure
@@ -355,21 +402,36 @@ impl LanceStore {
             .await
             .map_err(|e| DBError(format!("Open dataset failed: {}", e)))?;
 
-        // Build scanner with projection; filter if provided
+        // Build scanner with projection; we project needed fields and filter client-side to support meta keys
         let mut scan = ds.scan();
-        if let Err(e) = scan.project(&["id", "vector", "meta"]) {
+        if let Err(e) = scan.project(&["id", "vector", "meta", "text", "media_type", "media_uri"]) {
             return Err(DBError(format!("Project failed: {}", e)));
         }
-        if let Some(pred) = filter {
-            if let Err(e) = scan.filter(&pred) {
-                return Err(DBError(format!("Filter failed: {}", e)));
-            }
-        }
+        // Note: we no longer push down filter to Lance to allow filtering on meta fields client-side.
 
         let mut stream = scan
             .try_into_stream()
             .await
             .map_err(|e| DBError(format!("Scan stream failed: {}", e)))?;
+        
+        // Parse simple equality clause from filter for client-side filtering (supports one `key = 'value'`)
+        let clause = filter.as_ref().and_then(|s| {
+            fn parse_eq(s: &str) -> Option<(String, String)> {
+                let s = s.trim();
+                let pos = s.find('=').or_else(|| s.find(" = "))?;
+                let (k, vraw) = s.split_at(pos);
+                let mut v = vraw.trim_start_matches('=').trim();
+                if (v.starts_with('\'') && v.ends_with('\'')) || (v.starts_with('"') && v.ends_with('"')) {
+                    if v.len() >= 2 {
+                        v = &v[1..v.len()-1];
+                    }
+                }
+                let key = k.trim().trim_matches('"').trim_matches('\'').to_string();
+                if key.is_empty() { return None; }
+                Some((key, v.to_string()))
+            }
+            parse_eq(s)
+        });
 
         // Maintain a max-heap with reverse ordering to keep top-k smallest distances
         #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -412,20 +474,18 @@ impl LanceStore {
             let meta_arr = batch
                 .column_by_name("meta")
                 .map(|a| a.as_string::<i32>().clone());
+            let text_arr = batch
+                .column_by_name("text")
+                .map(|a| a.as_string::<i32>().clone());
+            let mt_arr = batch
+                .column_by_name("media_type")
+                .map(|a| a.as_string::<i32>().clone());
+            let mu_arr = batch
+                .column_by_name("media_uri")
+                .map(|a| a.as_string::<i32>().clone());
 
             for i in 0..batch.num_rows() {
-                // Compute L2 distance
-                let val = vec_arr.value(i);
-                let prim = val.as_primitive::<Float32Type>();
-                let mut dist: f32 = 0.0;
-                let plen = prim.len();
-                for j in 0..plen {
-                    let r = prim.value(j);
-                    let d = query[j] - r;
-                    dist += d * d;
-                }
-
-                // Parse id
+                // Extract id
                 let id_val = id_arr.value(i).to_string();
 
                 // Parse meta JSON if present
@@ -439,26 +499,54 @@ impl LanceStore {
                                     meta.insert(k, vs.to_string());
                                 } else if v.is_number() || v.is_boolean() {
                                     meta.insert(k, v.to_string());
-                                } else {
-                                    // skip complex entries
                                 }
                             }
                         }
                     }
                 }
 
+                // Evaluate simple equality filter if provided (supports one clause)
+                let passes = if let Some((ref key, ref val)) = clause {
+                    let candidate = match key.as_str() {
+                        "id" => Some(id_val.clone()),
+                        "text" => text_arr.as_ref().and_then(|col| if col.is_null(i) { None } else { Some(col.value(i).to_string()) }),
+                        "media_type" => mt_arr.as_ref().and_then(|col| if col.is_null(i) { None } else { Some(col.value(i).to_string()) }),
+                        "media_uri" => mu_arr.as_ref().and_then(|col| if col.is_null(i) { None } else { Some(col.value(i).to_string()) }),
+                        _ => meta.get(key).cloned(),
+                    };
+                    match candidate {
+                        Some(cv) => cv == *val,
+                        None => false,
+                    }
+                } else { true };
+                if !passes {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                // Compute L2 distance
+                let val = vec_arr.value(i);
+                let prim = val.as_primitive::<Float32Type>();
+                let mut dist: f32 = 0.0;
+                let plen = prim.len();
+                for j in 0..plen {
+                    let r = prim.value(j);
+                    let d = query[j] - r;
+                    dist += d * d;
+                }
+
                 // Apply return_fields on meta
+                let mut meta_out = meta;
                 if let Some(fields) = &return_fields {
                     let mut filtered = HashMap::new();
                     for f in fields {
-                        if let Some(val) = meta.get(f) {
+                        if let Some(val) = meta_out.get(f) {
                             filtered.insert(f.clone(), val.clone());
                         }
                     }
-                    meta = filtered;
+                    meta_out = filtered;
                 }
 
-                let hit = Hit { dist, id: id_val, meta };
+                let hit = Hit { dist, id: id_val, meta: meta_out };
 
                 if heap.len() < k {
                     heap.push(hit);

src/rpc.rs

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use crate::server::Server;
 use crate::options::DBOption;
 use crate::admin_meta;
 use crate::embedding::{EmbeddingConfig, EmbeddingProvider};
+use base64::{engine::general_purpose, Engine as _};
 
 /// Database backend types
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -282,6 +283,33 @@ pub trait Rpc {
         filter: Option<String>,
         return_fields: Option<Vec<String>>,
     ) -> RpcResult<serde_json::Value>;
+
+    // ----- Image-first endpoints (no user-provided vectors) -----
+
+    /// Store an image; exactly one of uri or bytes_b64 must be provided.
+    #[method(name = "lanceStoreImage")]
+    async fn lance_store_image(
+        &self,
+        db_id: u64,
+        name: String,
+        id: String,
+        uri: Option<String>,
+        bytes_b64: Option<String>,
+        meta: Option<HashMap<String, String>>,
+    ) -> RpcResult<bool>;
+
+    /// Search using an image query; exactly one of uri or bytes_b64 must be provided.
+    #[method(name = "lanceSearchImage")]
+    async fn lance_search_image(
+        &self,
+        db_id: u64,
+        name: String,
+        k: usize,
+        uri: Option<String>,
+        bytes_b64: Option<String>,
+        filter: Option<String>,
+        return_fields: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    ) -> RpcResult<serde_json::Value>;
 }
 
 /// RPC Server implementation
@@ -1131,4 +1159,204 @@ impl RpcServer for RpcServerImpl {
 
         Ok(serde_json::json!({ "results": json_results }))
     }
+
+    // ----- New image-first Lance RPC implementations -----
+
+    async fn lance_store_image(
+        &self,
+        db_id: u64,
+        name: String,
+        id: String,
+        uri: Option<String>,
+        bytes_b64: Option<String>,
+        meta: Option<HashMap<String, String>>,
+    ) -> RpcResult<bool> {
+        let server = self.get_or_create_server(db_id).await?;
+        if db_id == 0 {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, "Lance not allowed on DB 0", None::<()>));
+        }
+        if !matches!(server.option.backend, crate::options::BackendType::Lance) {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, "DB backend is not Lance", None::<()>));
+        }
+        if !server.has_write_permission() {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, "write permission denied", None::<()>));
+        }
+
+        // Validate exactly one of uri or bytes_b64
+        let (use_uri, use_b64) = (uri.is_some(), bytes_b64.is_some());
+        if (use_uri && use_b64) || (!use_uri && !use_b64) {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(
+                -32000,
+                "Provide exactly one of 'uri' or 'bytes_b64'",
+                None::<()>,
+            ));
+        }
+
+        // Acquire image bytes (with caps)
+        let max_bytes: usize = std::env::var("HERODB_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES")
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|s| s.parse::<u64>().ok())
+            .unwrap_or(10 * 1024 * 1024) as usize;
+
+        let (bytes, media_uri_opt) = if let Some(u) = uri.clone() {
+            let data = server
+                .fetch_image_bytes_from_uri(&u)
+                .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?;
+            (data, Some(u))
+        } else {
+            let b64 = bytes_b64.unwrap_or_default();
+            let data = general_purpose::STANDARD
+                .decode(b64.as_bytes())
+                .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, format!("base64 decode error: {}", e), None::<()>))?;
+            if data.len() > max_bytes {
+                return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(
+                    -32000,
+                    format!("Image exceeds max allowed bytes {}", max_bytes),
+                    None::<()>,
+                ));
+            }
+            (data, None)
+        };
+
+        // Resolve image embedder and embed on a plain OS thread
+        let img_embedder = server
+            .get_image_embedder_for(&name)
+            .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?;
+        let (tx, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
+        let emb_arc = img_embedder.clone();
+        let bytes_cl = bytes.clone();
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let res = emb_arc.embed_image(&bytes_cl);
+            let _ = tx.send(res);
+        });
+        let vector = match rx.await {
+            Ok(Ok(v)) => v,
+            Ok(Err(e)) => return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>)),
+            Err(recv_err) => {
+                return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(
+                    -32000,
+                    format!("embedding thread error: {}", recv_err),
+                    None::<()>,
+                ))
+            }
+        };
+
+        // Store vector with media fields
+        server
+            .lance_store()
+            .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?
+            .store_vector_with_media(
+                &name,
+                &id,
+                vector,
+                meta.unwrap_or_default(),
+                None,
+                Some("image".to_string()),
+                media_uri_opt,
+            )
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?;
+
+        Ok(true)
+    }
+
+    async fn lance_search_image(
+        &self,
+        db_id: u64,
+        name: String,
+        k: usize,
+        uri: Option<String>,
+        bytes_b64: Option<String>,
+        filter: Option<String>,
+        return_fields: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    ) -> RpcResult<serde_json::Value> {
+        let server = self.get_or_create_server(db_id).await?;
+        if db_id == 0 {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, "Lance not allowed on DB 0", None::<()>));
+        }
+        if !matches!(server.option.backend, crate::options::BackendType::Lance) {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, "DB backend is not Lance", None::<()>));
+        }
+        if !server.has_read_permission() {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, "read permission denied", None::<()>));
+        }
+
+        // Validate exactly one of uri or bytes_b64
+        let (use_uri, use_b64) = (uri.is_some(), bytes_b64.is_some());
+        if (use_uri && use_b64) || (!use_uri && !use_b64) {
+            return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(
+                -32000,
+                "Provide exactly one of 'uri' or 'bytes_b64'",
+                None::<()>,
+            ));
+        }
+
+        // Acquire image bytes for query (with caps)
+        let max_bytes: usize = std::env::var("HERODB_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES")
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|s| s.parse::<u64>().ok())
+            .unwrap_or(10 * 1024 * 1024) as usize;
+
+        let bytes = if let Some(u) = uri {
+            server
+                .fetch_image_bytes_from_uri(&u)
+                .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?
+        } else {
+            let b64 = bytes_b64.unwrap_or_default();
+            let data = general_purpose::STANDARD
+                .decode(b64.as_bytes())
+                .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, format!("base64 decode error: {}", e), None::<()>))?;
+            if data.len() > max_bytes {
+                return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(
+                    -32000,
+                    format!("Image exceeds max allowed bytes {}", max_bytes),
+                    None::<()>,
+                ));
+            }
+            data
+        };
+
+        // Resolve image embedder and embed on OS thread
+        let img_embedder = server
+            .get_image_embedder_for(&name)
+            .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?;
+        let (tx, rx) = tokio::sync::oneshot::channel();
+        let emb_arc = img_embedder.clone();
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let res = emb_arc.embed_image(&bytes);
+            let _ = tx.send(res);
+        });
+        let qv = match rx.await {
+            Ok(Ok(v)) => v,
+            Ok(Err(e)) => return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>)),
+            Err(recv_err) => {
+                return Err(jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(
+                    -32000,
+                    format!("embedding thread error: {}", recv_err),
+                    None::<()>,
+                ))
+            }
+        };
+
+        // KNN search and return results
+        let results = server
+            .lance_store()
+            .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?
+            .search_vectors(&name, qv, k, filter, return_fields)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| jsonrpsee::types::ErrorObjectOwned::owned(-32000, e.0, None::<()>))?;
+
+        let json_results: Vec<serde_json::Value> = results
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|(id, score, meta)| {
+                serde_json::json!({
+                    "id": id,
+                    "score": score,
+                    "meta": meta,
+                })
+            })
+            .collect();
+
+        Ok(serde_json::json!({ "results": json_results }))
+    }
 }

src/server.rs

@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ use crate::storage_trait::StorageBackend;
 use crate::admin_meta;
 
 // Embeddings: config and cache
-use crate::embedding::{EmbeddingConfig, create_embedder, Embedder};
+use crate::embedding::{EmbeddingConfig, create_embedder, Embedder, create_image_embedder, ImageEmbedder};
 use serde_json;
+use ureq::{Agent, AgentBuilder};
+use std::time::Duration;
+use std::io::Read;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Server {
@@ -33,9 +36,12 @@ pub struct Server {
     // Per-DB Lance stores (vector DB), keyed by db_id
     pub lance_stores: Arc<std::sync::RwLock<HashMap<u64, Arc<crate::lance_store::LanceStore>>>>,
 
-    // Per-(db_id, dataset) embedder cache
+    // Per-(db_id, dataset) embedder cache (text)
     pub embedders: Arc<std::sync::RwLock<HashMap<(u64, String), Arc<dyn Embedder>>>>,
 
+    // Per-(db_id, dataset) image embedder cache (image)
+    pub image_embedders: Arc<std::sync::RwLock<HashMap<(u64, String), Arc<dyn ImageEmbedder>>>>,
+    
     // BLPOP waiter registry: per (db_index, key) FIFO of waiters
     pub list_waiters: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<u64, HashMap<String, Vec<Waiter>>>>>,
     pub waiter_seq: Arc<AtomicU64>,
@@ -66,6 +72,7 @@ impl Server {
             search_indexes: Arc::new(std::sync::RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
             lance_stores: Arc::new(std::sync::RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
             embedders: Arc::new(std::sync::RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
+            image_embedders: Arc::new(std::sync::RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
             list_waiters: Arc::new(Mutex::new(HashMap::new())),
             waiter_seq: Arc::new(AtomicU64::new(1)),
         }
@@ -189,6 +196,10 @@ impl Server {
             let mut map = self.embedders.write().unwrap();
             map.remove(&(self.selected_db, dataset.to_string()));
         }
+        {
+            let mut map_img = self.image_embedders.write().unwrap();
+            map_img.remove(&(self.selected_db, dataset.to_string()));
+        }
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -233,6 +244,88 @@ impl Server {
         Ok(emb)
     }
 
+    /// Resolve or build an IMAGE embedder for (db_id, dataset). Caches instance.
+    pub fn get_image_embedder_for(&self, dataset: &str) -> Result<Arc<dyn ImageEmbedder>, DBError> {
+        if self.selected_db == 0 {
+            return Err(DBError("Lance not available on admin DB 0".to_string()));
+        }
+        // Fast path
+        {
+            let map = self.image_embedders.read().unwrap();
+            if let Some(e) = map.get(&(self.selected_db, dataset.to_string())) {
+                return Ok(e.clone());
+            }
+        }
+        // Load config and instantiate
+        let cfg = self.get_dataset_embedding_config(dataset)?;
+        let emb = create_image_embedder(&cfg)?;
+        {
+            let mut map = self.image_embedders.write().unwrap();
+            map.insert((self.selected_db, dataset.to_string()), emb.clone());
+        }
+        Ok(emb)
+    }
+
+    /// Download image bytes from a URI with safety checks (size, timeout, content-type, optional host allowlist).
+    /// Env overrides:
+    /// - HERODB_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES (u64, default 10485760)
+    /// - HERODB_IMAGE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_SECS (u64, default 30)
+    /// - HERODB_IMAGE_ALLOWED_HOSTS (comma-separated, optional)
+    pub fn fetch_image_bytes_from_uri(&self, uri: &str) -> Result<Vec<u8>, DBError> {
+        // Basic scheme validation
+        if !(uri.starts_with("http://") || uri.starts_with("https://")) {
+            return Err(DBError("Only http(s) URIs are supported for image fetch".into()));
+        }
+        // Parse host (naive) for allowlist check
+        let host = {
+            let after_scheme = match uri.find("://") {
+                Some(i) => &uri[i + 3..],
+                None => uri,
+            };
+            let end = after_scheme.find('/').unwrap_or(after_scheme.len());
+            let host_port = &after_scheme[..end];
+            host_port.split('@').last().unwrap_or(host_port).split(':').next().unwrap_or(host_port).to_string()
+        };
+
+        let max_bytes: u64 = std::env::var("HERODB_IMAGE_MAX_BYTES").ok().and_then(|s| s.parse::<u64>().ok()).unwrap_or(10 * 1024 * 1024);
+        let timeout_secs: u64 = std::env::var("HERODB_IMAGE_FETCH_TIMEOUT_SECS").ok().and_then(|s| s.parse::<u64>().ok()).unwrap_or(30);
+        let allowed_hosts_env = std::env::var("HERODB_IMAGE_ALLOWED_HOSTS").ok();
+        if let Some(allow) = allowed_hosts_env {
+            if !allow.split(',').map(|s| s.trim()).filter(|s| !s.is_empty()).any(|h| h.eq_ignore_ascii_case(&host)) {
+                return Err(DBError(format!("Host '{}' not allowed for image fetch (HERODB_IMAGE_ALLOWED_HOSTS)", host)));
+            }
+        }
+
+        let agent: Agent = AgentBuilder::new()
+            .timeout_read(Duration::from_secs(timeout_secs))
+            .timeout_write(Duration::from_secs(timeout_secs))
+            .build();
+
+        let resp = agent.get(uri).call().map_err(|e| DBError(format!("HTTP GET failed: {}", e)))?;
+        // Validate content-type
+        let ctype = resp.header("Content-Type").unwrap_or("");
+        let ctype_main = ctype.split(';').next().unwrap_or("").trim().to_ascii_lowercase();
+        if !ctype_main.starts_with("image/") {
+            return Err(DBError(format!("Remote content-type '{}' is not image/*", ctype)));
+        }
+
+        // Read with cap
+        let mut reader = resp.into_reader();
+        let mut buf: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(8192);
+        let mut tmp = [0u8; 8192];
+        let mut total: u64 = 0;
+        loop {
+            let n = reader.read(&mut tmp).map_err(|e| DBError(format!("Read error: {}", e)))?;
+            if n == 0 { break; }
+            total += n as u64;
+            if total > max_bytes {
+                return Err(DBError(format!("Image exceeds max allowed bytes {}", max_bytes)));
+            }
+            buf.extend_from_slice(&tmp[..n]);
+        }
+        Ok(buf)
+    }
+
     /// Check if current permissions allow read operations
     pub fn has_read_permission(&self) -> bool {
         // If an explicit permission is set for this connection, honor it.