We set-up a two node cluster the first node is a master and contains no data. The second node has data but is not master eligible. Both a running 0.90.0. Also, retested on 0.90.6.

First I create an index with an nested document:

curl -X POST http://masternode:9200/index_a -d '{
"mappings" : {
"type_a" : {
"properties" : {
"table_a" : { "type" : "nested", "properties" : {
"field_a" : { "type" : "string" },"field_b" : { "type" : "string" }
}}
}
}
}
}
'

Returns: {"ok":true,"acknowledged":true}

Then I try to create the filter alias:

curl -X POST http://datanode:9200/_aliases -d '
{
"actions" : [
{ "add" : { "index" : "index_a", "alias" : "alias_a" , "filter": {
"bool": {
"must": [
{
"nested": {
"path": "table_a",
"query": {
"bool": {
"must": [
{
"term": {
"table_a.field_a": "y"
}
}
]
}
}
}
}
]
}
}} }
]
}'

Returns: {"error":"RemoteTransportException[[dlesmaster01][inet[/10.13.10.38:9300]][indices/aliases]]; nested: ElasticSearchIllegalArgumentException[failed to parse filter for [alias_a]]; nested: QueryParsingException[[index_a] [nested] failed to find nested object under path [table_a]]; ","status":400}

If I submit it to the master node like this:

curl -X POST http://masternode:9200/_aliases -d '
{
"actions" : [
{ "add" : { "index" : "index_a", "alias" : "alias_a" , "filter": {
"bool": {
"must": [
{
"nested": {
"path": "table_a",
"query": {
"bool": {
"must": [
{
"term": {
"table_a.field_a": "y"
}
}
]
}
}
}
}
]
}
}} }
]
}'

Returns: {"error":"ElasticSearchIllegalArgumentException[failed to parse filter for [alias_a]]; nested: QueryParsingException[[index_a] [nested] failed to find nested object under path [table_a]]; ","status":400}

These all work when the elected master also contains the data.