# Active primary shards too many? Health status Yellow **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 13, 2018, 9:46am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674 "2018-06-13T09:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 9:46am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/1 "2018-06-13T09:46:39Z")
Hello all, I am quite new to ElasticSearch and experiencing some issues. I am using the AWS ES service and this is its health: StatusYellow Number of nodes 3 Number of data nodes 3 Active primary shards 26 Active shards 47 Relocating shards 0 Initializing shards 0 Unassigned shards 5 Is this number of shards reasonable for a small amount of data that I currently have ? ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 9:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/2 "2018-06-13T09:54:11Z")
The health status is yellow as you only have one node and Elasticsearch therefore is not able to allocate the replica shards. A single shard can hold a loti of data, so you should be able able to reduce the number of shards if you have little data. ---
**Author:** ![tdasch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@tdasch](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tdasch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 9:55am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/3 "2018-06-13T09:55:58Z")
Hey Theo, With only one node, your cluster will stay in status "yellow" because your primary shards are allocated but there isn't another node to hold any replicas. Firing up another node should help. You can check out [this blog](https://www.elastic.co/blog/how-many-shards-should-i-have-in-my-elasticsearch-cluster) post concerning shards. There are no cookie cutter settings, you have to figure out what works for your system. At the end of the blog there is a link to the Definitive Guide which is a great read if you haven't already. ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/4 "2018-06-13T09:57:38Z")
Thanks for coming back to me, @Christian_Dahlqvist and @tdasch. ``` Status Yellow Number of nodes 2 Number of data nodes 2 Active primary shards 26 Active shards 47 Relocating shards 0 Initializing shards 0 Unassigned shards 5 ``` @tdasch, fired up a new node but no luck unfortunately. See above. Also, this is how my shards look like: > ``` > .kibana 0 p STARTED 2 11.6kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > .kibana 0 r STARTED 2 11.6kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > customtitles 2 p STARTED 9 124.8kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > customtitles 2 r STARTED 9 124.8kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > customtitles 3 r STARTED 2 35kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > customtitles 3 p STARTED 2 35kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > customtitles 1 r STARTED 3 52.3kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > customtitles 1 p STARTED 3 52.3kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > customtitles 4 p STARTED 7 106.1kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > customtitles 4 r STARTED 7 106.1kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > customtitles 0 p STARTED 3 52.3kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > customtitles 0 r STARTED 3 52.3kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > records 2 p STARTED 120 188.2kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > records 2 r STARTED 120 188.2kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > records 2 r UNASSIGNED > records 3 p STARTED 103 91.9kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > records 3 r STARTED 103 91.9kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > records 3 r UNASSIGNED > records 1 p STARTED 129 181.1kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > records 1 r STARTED 129 181.1kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > records 1 r UNASSIGNED > records 4 p STARTED 117 151.8kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > records 4 r STARTED 117 151.8kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > records 4 r UNASSIGNED > records 0 p STARTED 118 174.9kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > records 0 r STARTED 118 174.9kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > records 0 r UNASSIGNED > plastic 2 p STARTED 15 33.6kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > plastic 3 p STARTED 24 50.2kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > plastic 1 p STARTED 16 38.5kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > plastic 4 p STARTED 25 58.9kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > plastic 0 p STARTED 14 25.1kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > recordtypes 2 r STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x lehWQZM > recordtypes 2 p STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > recordtypes 3 p STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x lehWQZM > recordtypes 3 r STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > recordtypes 1 p STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x lehWQZM > recordtypes 1 r STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > recordtypes 4 r STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x lehWQZM > recordtypes 4 p STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > recordtypes 0 r STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x lehWQZM > recordtypes 0 p STARTED 0 230b x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > contributors 2 r STARTED 3 12.2kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > contributors 2 p STARTED 3 12.2kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > contributors 3 p STARTED 5 20.2kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > contributors 3 r STARTED 5 20.2kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > contributors 1 p STARTED 6 20.3kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > contributors 1 r STARTED 6 20.3kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > contributors 4 r STARTED 6 20.3kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > contributors 4 p STARTED 6 20.3kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > contributors 0 r STARTED 4 12.3kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > contributors 0 p STARTED 4 12.3kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > > ``` **Update** It's getting worse now as the response times are 4-6 sec! ---
**Author:** ![tdasch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@tdasch](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tdasch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:12am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/5 "2018-06-13T10:12:19Z")
Can you provide your settings for number\_of\_shards and number\_of\_replicas please? Could we also try using the explain API to get the reason for the unassigned shards? [Here is a link for the explain API.](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/cluster-allocation-explain.html) ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/6 "2018-06-13T10:16:33Z")
Sure! So, when I `curl GET https://search-es-idhere.eu-west-2.es.amazonaws.com/myindex/_settings` > ``` > { > "myindex": { > "settings": { > "index": { > "creation_date": "1528217194254", > "number_of_shards": "5", > "number_of_replicas": "0", > "uuid": "wefwefL-W-s3", > "version": { > "created": "6020299" > }, > "provided_name": "myindex" > } > } > } > } > > ``` Hope that helps? ---
**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/7 "2018-06-13T10:16:52Z")
BTW did you look at [https://www.elastic.co/cloud](https://www.elastic.co/cloud) and [https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/B01N6YCISK](https://aws.amazon.com/marketplace/pp/B01N6YCISK) ? Cloud by elastic is the only way to have access to X-Pack. Think about what is there yet like Security, Monitoring, Reporting and what is coming like Canvas, SQL... ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:19am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/8 "2018-06-13T10:19:01Z")
Thanks, @dadoonet! No I didn't have a look into it. I would have believed that AWS ES would have been able to help me manage my ES nodes and make it easier for a beginner with ES, like me ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/9 "2018-06-13T10:22:39Z")
Here is the response from the explain API: ``` { "index": "records", "shard": 2, "primary": false, "current_state": "unassigned", "unassigned_info": { "reason": "NODE_LEFT", "at": "2018-06-13T09:52:24.369Z", "details": "node_left[G9tyyCV-SDSCHBqJSlMLsA]", "last_allocation_status": "no_attempt" }, "can_allocate": "no", "allocate_explanation": "cannot allocate because allocation is not permitted to any of the nodes", "node_allocation_decisions": [ { "node_id": "OcLjQL3ZTwKwjhAeGGJGDA", "node_name": "OcLjQL3", "node_decision": "no", "deciders": [ { "decider": "same_shard", "decision": "NO", "explanation": "the shard cannot be allocated to the same node on which a copy of the shard already exists [[records][2], node[OcLjQL3ZTwKwjhAeGGJGDA], [R], s[STARTED], a[id=KGE7aXFWQrumdowO1WKF9Q]]" } ] }, { "node_id": "lehWQZMES8mWn1dcFN8Iew", "node_name": "lehWQZM", "node_decision": "no", "deciders": [ { "decider": "same_shard", "decision": "NO", "explanation": "the shard cannot be allocated to the same node on which a copy of the shard already exists [[records][2], node[lehWQZMES8mWn1dcFN8Iew], [P], s[STARTED], a[id=aXZX9gIPS1qYK6XROdKYzA]]" } ] } ] } ``` ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/10 "2018-06-13T10:24:25Z")
> [@thitami](#): > > records 3 p STARTED 103 91.9kb x.x.x.x lehWQZM > records 3 r STARTED 103 91.9kb x.x.x.x OcLjQL3 > records 3 r UNASSIGNED You seem to have 2 replicas configured for this index, which need 3 data nodes in order to be fully assigned. ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:26am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/11 "2018-06-13T10:26:04Z")
@Christian_Dahlqvist I see, then I should reduce the number of replicas to 1? ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:26am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/12 "2018-06-13T10:26:36Z")
That will solve the problem. ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/13 "2018-06-13T10:28:11Z")
Indeed! Many thanks, @Christian_Dahlqvist! Provided the chance, my response times are definitely better now but vary between 200ms to 1.56s. Where should I possibly look at for this issue? ---
**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:36am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/14 "2018-06-13T10:36:11Z")
> to help me manage my ES nodes and make it easier for a beginner with ES, like me Indeed. That's exactly what cloud by elastic offers. You have 15 days totally free to try it if you go to [cloud.elastic.co](http://cloud.elastic.co) and register from there. ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:37am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/15 "2018-06-13T10:37:33Z")
Looking good! We will definitely consider it. Thanks, @dadoonet. ---
**Author:** ![tdasch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@tdasch](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tdasch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:45am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/16 "2018-06-13T10:45:35Z")
@Christian_Dahlqvist, the problem was not enough nodes. I wanted to ensure I understood correctly how to determine that; You would use the equation N \>=R + 1 correct? Where N is the number of nodes in the cluster and R is the largest shared replication factor across all indices in the cluster. So in Theo's case, 2 \>= 2 +1, ? Requiring 3 nodes for proper allocation of replicas, correct? ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/17 "2018-06-13T10:48:11Z")
Yes, that sounds correct. As `2 >= 2 +1` is not correct you need at least 3 data nodes. It its a reasonably common misunderstanding. It is not always clear that an index with 3 primary shards and 1 replica will result in a total of 6 shards. ---
**Author:** ![tdasch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/58f4c7/32.png) [@tdasch](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tdasch)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/18 "2018-06-13T10:48:38Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![thitami](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thitami/32/32205_2.png) [@thitami](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/thitami)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/19 "2018-06-13T10:49:52Z")
@Christian_Dahlqvist / @tdasch Does this mean that I should fire up one more node as I currently have 2? Do I need this number of nodes given my small amount of data (probably not even 1000 documents all together) ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:51am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674/20 "2018-06-13T10:51:46Z")
In order to have high availability, you should always look to have at least 3 master-eligible nodes in the cluster. [Next page](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/active-primary-shards-too-many-health-status-yellow/135674.md?page=2)