# Delete old index offline when disk is full

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-old-index-offline-when-disk-is-full/129113>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [April 23, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-old-index-offline-when-disk-is-full/129113 "2018-04-23T13:11:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![agonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@agonzalez](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/agonzalez)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-old-index-offline-when-disk-is-full/129113/1 "2018-04-23T13:11:29Z")

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How can i delete old index offline when disk is full and i cant use API because elasticsearch API doesnt work and refuse connection because data disk is full?

/dev/sdb1 100% /mnt/elastic\_data

elasticsearch will not work until i free some space or grow the disk, but i cant delete old index to free space if i cant use API because is offline. what is the workaround for this scenario?

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**Author:** ![theuntergeek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/theuntergeek/32/44961_2.png) [@theuntergeek](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/theuntergeek)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-old-index-offline-when-disk-is-full/129113/2 "2018-04-23T13:45:24Z")

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Use [Elasticsearch Curator](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/client/curator/5.5/index.html) in the future to delete indices you've matched by size. The API _should_ still let you use the DELETE call, however. If you know some of your old index names, you should still be able to run

```auto
DELETE indexname

```

and it should free up space. You may not be able to run other API calls, it is true, but this one should still work. If the API is not up, there is quite possibly something else going on. You may need to restart your cluster, but not allow any requests in until a DELETE has taken place.

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**Author:** ![agonzalez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@agonzalez](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/agonzalez)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-old-index-offline-when-disk-is-full/129113/3 "2018-04-24T00:15:09Z")

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thanks problem was that / was full also and java couldnt create temp memory file so elasticsearch was not starting. i free some space in / and was able to start and use delete api.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/delete-old-index-offline-when-disk-is-full/129113/4 "2018-05-22T00:15:10Z")

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