# BindTransportException when starting Elasticsearch server **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [August 12, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932 "2016-08-12T14:03:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@dal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932/1 "2016-08-12T14:03:46Z")
I am trying to start my elasticsearch server by running bin/elasticsearch from my ES directory but I keep getting a bindtransport exception. What should I do? ``` idea! [2016-08-11 04:57:45,143][INFO][node] [my-elk1] version[2.3.3], pid[30342], build[218bdf1/2016-05-17T15:40:04Z] [2016-08-11 04:57:45,143][INFO][node] [my-elk1] initializing ... [2016-08-11 04:57:45,683][INFO][plugins] [my-elk1] modules [lang-groovy, reindex, lang-expression], plugins [], sites [] [2016-08-11 04:57:45,707][INFO][env] [my-elk1] using [1] data paths, mounts [[/ (/dev/xvda1)]], net usable_space [16.1gb], net total_space [49gb], spins? [no], types [ext4] [2016-08-11 04:57:45,707][INFO][env] [my-elk1] heap size [990.7mb], compressed ordinary object pointers [true] [2016-08-11 04:57:47,647][INFO][node] [my-elk1] initialized [2016-08-11 04:57:47,648][INFO][node] [my-elk1] starting ... Exception in thread "main" BindTransportException[Failed to bind to [9300-9400]]; nested: ChannelException[Failed to bind to: /192.168.0.1:9400]; nested: BindException[Cannot assign requested address]; Likely root cause: java.net.BindException: Cannot assign requested address ... ``` elasticsearch.yml ``` # ---------------------------------- Cluster ----------------------------------- # # Use a descriptive name for your cluster: # # name that es uses to find other clusters to join # when you turn on a node, it will find other nodes on the network to talk to # if found, it will cluster. name determines if node will join or not. cluster.name: elk1 # # ------------------------------------ Node ------------------------------------ # # Use a descriptive name for the node: # everytime you turn on a node, it will choose a marvel comic character # node.name is just a name node.name: my-elk1 # # Add custom attributes to the node: # # node.rack: r1 # ----------------------------------- Paths ------------------------------------ # # Path to directory where to store the data (separate multiple locations by comma): # # path.data: /path/to/data # # Path to log files: # # path.logs: /path/to/logs # # ----------------------------------- Memory ----------------------------------- # # Lock the memory on startup: # allows jvm to lock memory on startup to avoid swapping bootstrap.mlockall: true # # Make sure that the `ES_HEAP_SIZE` environment variable is set to about half the memory # available on the system and that the owner of the process is allowed to use this limit. # # Elasticsearch performs poorly when the system is swapping the memory. # # ---------------------------------- Network ----------------------------------- # # Set the bind address to a specific IP (IPv4 or IPv6): # # setting to control network traffic. only allows traffic from :<> so that # external processes cannot access elasticsearch server # network.host: 192.168.0.1 # # Set a custom port for HTTP: # # http.port: 9200 # # For more information, see the documentation at: # # --------------------------------- Discovery ---------------------------------- # # Pass an initial list of hosts to perform discovery when new node is started: # The default list of hosts is ["127.0.0.1", "[::1]"] # # discovery.zen.ping.unicast.hosts: ["host1", "host2"] # # Prevent the "split brain" by configuring the majority of nodes (total number of nodes / 2 \ + 1): # # discovery.zen.minimum_master_nodes: 3 # # For more information, see the documentation at: # ...(everthing commenteed) ``` ---
**Author:** ![polyfractal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/polyfractal/32/48162_2.png) [@polyfractal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/polyfractal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932/2 "2016-08-12T16:37:40Z")
Have you checked to make sure another process isn't using that port? Or another ES server that may accidentally be running in the background? ---
**Author:** ![dal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@dal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932/3 "2016-08-12T16:40:41Z")
I've checked `sudo lsof -iTCP -sTCP:LISTEN | grep elasticsearch` to see if elasticsearch is even running but nothing comes up. I also tried `/etc/init.d/elasticsearch status` but it says `elasticsearch daed but pid file exists.` however if I run `curl 'localhost:9200/_cat/indices?v'` ``` health status index pri rep docs.count docs.deleted store.size pri.store.size yellow open logstash-2015.05.19 5 1 0 0 795b 795b yellow open logstash-2016.08.12 5 1 2 0 30.6kb 30.6kb yellow open megacorp 5 1 3 0 12.7kb 12.7kb yellow open logstash-2015.05.18 5 1 0 0 795b ``` is returned. It is worth mentioning that when I start elasticsearch it consistently crashes after a few minutes with ``` Caught exception while handling client http traffic, closing connection [id: 0x09f530e6, /127.0.0.1:46638 :> /127.0.0.1:9200] java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: empty text ``` Part of the problem may be that I am starting elasticsearch with `bin/elasticsearch -Des.insecure.allow.root=true -Des.network.host=127.0.0.1` because starting it with just `bin/elaticsearch` throws errors about BindTransportException but I posted a question about that earlier both here and on SO and no one responded. ---
**Author:** ![polyfractal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/polyfractal/32/48162_2.png) [@polyfractal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/polyfractal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932/4 "2016-08-12T16:59:54Z")
You'll likely need to grep for java in that lsof command (at least, that's the case on my Mac). Try: `sudo lsof -iTCP -sTCP:LISTEN | grep java` Or, check the specific ports: ```auto lsof -n -iTCP:9200 lsof -n -iTCP:9300 ``` You can check to see if there are any general processes running with: `ps aux | grep elasticsearch` The bad http traffic likely means you have some other server or service running which is trying to talk to ES. Are you running any docker containers, or any other services that may interact with ES? > [@dal](#): > > -Des.insecure.allow.root=true Also, dont do this 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@dal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932/5 "2016-08-12T18:05:21Z")
``` lsof -n -iTCP:9200 COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME java 26962 root 41u IPv4 3381397 0t0 TCP 127.0.0.1:35939->127.0.0.1:wap-wsp (CLOSE_WAIT) ``` `lsof -n -iTCP:9300` returns nothing same with ps aux ``` ps aux | grep elasticsearch root 4479 0.0 0.0 103360 816 pts/4 S+ 11:00 0:00 grep elasticsearch ``` I still get a bindtransportexception "cannot assign requested address" when ES tries to access 192.168.0.1:9400. The only service trying to talk to ES currently is logstash ---
**Author:** ![polyfractal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/polyfractal/32/48162_2.png) [@polyfractal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/polyfractal)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932/6 "2016-08-12T18:21:01Z")
Well, that lsof shows a java process is sitting on 9200. Did you try killing that process before restarting Elasticsearch? Is this a distro installation (e.g. using a deb or rpm)? I ask because I saw you try to use init.d, but are also starting it manually. Can you shut down Logstash, then restart ES so that only ES is running to begin with? Are you using the HTTP output for Logstash (and not the java node client output)? Sorry, I don't have a lot of specific advice 😕 I'm fairly sure the issue is that some process is squatting on the ports that ES needs, so you just need to find and remove that process (or change the ports that ES is using with `transport.tcp.port` and `http.port`, docs here: [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/modules-network.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/modules-network.html)) You could also try configuring the `network.host` manually to make sure it binds the right interface. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/bindtransportexception-when-starting-elasticsearch-server/57932/7 "2017-07-05T22:27:59Z")