# Cluster falling into YELLOW state during use of Snapshot API **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [April 29, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cluster-falling-into-yellow-state-during-use-of-snapshot-api/23456 "2015-04-29T00:02:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steven\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Steven\_B](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Steven_B)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cluster-falling-into-yellow-state-during-use-of-snapshot-api/23456/1 "2015-04-29T00:02:09Z")
Our Elasticsearch cluster is comprised of 4 very large instances running Elasticsearch 1.4.0. The Snapshot API is set up to take backups once a day in the evening. We maintain 5 snapshots at a time, expiring the old ones as they drop off. Note that we have a few thousand indices in the cluster. While the Snapshot API is in progress, many times the cluster will fall into a yellow state. Here's an example of the output from GET \_cluster/health?pretty=true when this happens: { "cluster\_name": "elasticsearch-cluster", "status": "yellow", "timed\_out": false, "number\_of\_nodes": 4, "number\_of\_data\_nodes": 4, ... "relocating\_shards": 0, "initializing\_shards": 1, "unassigned\_shards": 1 } It would appear the Snapshot API is somehow interfering with shards initialization and/or allocation while the Snapshot is in progress. Once the cluster falls into the YELLOW state during the Snapshot, it stays in the YELLOW state until the snapshot completes. When the Snapshot completes, the cluster immediately switches back to a GREEN state after all unassigned shards are allocated to nodes. Has anyone else experienced this behavior with Elasticsearch Snapshots? If so, are there thoughts on what might be causing it? Was there a resolution? Thanks, Steven -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/90740d3e-67b5-4094-ae82-a2085425c5bf%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/90740d3e-67b5-4094-ae82-a2085425c5bf%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cluster-falling-into-yellow-state-during-use-of-snapshot-api/23456/2 "2015-04-29T00:28:08Z")
What do your ES logs show? On 29 April 2015 at 10:02, Steven B [sbancroft@expectlabs.com](mailto:sbancroft@expectlabs.com) wrote: > Our Elasticsearch cluster is comprised of 4 very large instances running > Elasticsearch 1.4.0. > The Snapshot API is set up to take backups once a day in the evening. We > maintain 5 snapshots at a time, expiring the old ones as they drop off. > > Note that we have a few thousand indices in the cluster. > > While the Snapshot API is in progress, many times the cluster will fall > into a yellow state. Here's an example of the output from GET > \_cluster/health?pretty=true when this happens: > > { > "cluster\_name": "elasticsearch-cluster", > "status": "yellow", > "timed\_out": false, > "number\_of\_nodes": 4, > "number\_of\_data\_nodes": 4, > ... > "relocating\_shards": 0, > "initializing\_shards": 1, > "unassigned\_shards": 1 > } > > It would appear the Snapshot API is somehow interfering with shards > initialization and/or allocation while the Snapshot is in progress. Once > the cluster falls into the YELLOW state during the Snapshot, it stays in > the YELLOW state until the snapshot completes. When the Snapshot completes, > the cluster immediately switches back to a GREEN state after all unassigned > shards are allocated to nodes. > > Has anyone else experienced this behavior with Elasticsearch Snapshots? > If so, are there thoughts on what might be causing it? Was there a > resolution? > > Thanks, > Steven > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "elasticsearch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > To view this discussion on the web visit > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/90740d3e-67b5-4094-ae82-a2085425c5bf%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/90740d3e-67b5-4094-ae82-a2085425c5bf%40googlegroups.com) > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/90740d3e-67b5-4094-ae82-a2085425c5bf%40googlegroups.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/90740d3e-67b5-4094-ae82-a2085425c5bf%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > . > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAEYi1X-eejOCU6XESZR7%2BJhsavhaCn%3DsjsdSyQLvpRm2%2BaE3VQ%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAEYi1X-eejOCU6XESZR7%2BJhsavhaCn%3DsjsdSyQLvpRm2%2BaE3VQ%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cluster-falling-into-yellow-state-during-use-of-snapshot-api/23456/3 "2017-07-06T00:17:12Z")