# How to assign unassigned shards **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [December 1, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042 "2011-12-01T16:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eran\_Kutner\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@Eran\_Kutner\_2](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eran_Kutner_2)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/1 "2011-12-01T16:20:40Z")
Hi, I'm trying to copy indexes from an old ES cluster running 0.16.4 to a new one running 0.18.5. The old cluster was using the FS gateway and the new one is using the local GW. So I copied the indices directory from the old FS GW under the new /nodes/0/ directory and the old metadata content under the new \_state I expected this to work and the server does indeed see all the indices but all the shards are listed as unassigned and the metadata file which was metadata-268 on the old cluster revered to metadata-2 after I started the server. Is there a way to explicitly assign those shards to a master server? Thanks, Eran ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/2 "2011-12-01T16:23:50Z")
This does not work, if you want to switch gateway implementations, you need to reindex. On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Eran Kutner [eran@gigya-inc.com](mailto:eran@gigya-inc.com) wrote: > Hi, > I'm trying to copy indexes from an old ES cluster running 0.16.4 to a new > one running 0.18.5. > The old cluster was using the FS gateway and the new one is using the > local GW. So I copied the indices directory from the old FS GW under the > new /nodes/0/ directory and the old metadata content under the new \_state > I expected this to work and the server does indeed see all the indices but > all the shards are listed as unassigned and the metadata file which was > metadata-268 on the old cluster revered to metadata-2 after I started the > server. > > Is there a way to explicitly assign those shards to a master server? > > Thanks, > Eran ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Sick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Michael\_Sick](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Sick)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/3 "2011-12-01T16:40:42Z")
Shay, Will it work even with the same Gateway? Just curious if this survives upgrades in ES/Lucene. --Mike On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 11:23 AM, Shay Banon [kimchy@gmail.com](mailto:kimchy@gmail.com) wrote: > This does not work, if you want to switch gateway implementations, you > need to reindex. > > On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Eran Kutner [eran@gigya-inc.com](mailto:eran@gigya-inc.com) wrote: > > > Hi, > > I'm trying to copy indexes from an old ES cluster running 0.16.4 to a new > > one running 0.18.5. > > The old cluster was using the FS gateway and the new one is using the > > local GW. So I copied the indices directory from the old FS GW under the > > new /nodes/0/ directory and the old metadata content under the new \_state > > I expected this to work and the server does indeed see all the indices > > but all the shards are listed as unassigned and the metadata file which was > > metadata-268 on the old cluster revered to metadata-2 after I started the > > server. > > > > Is there a way to explicitly assign those shards to a master server? > > > > Thanks, > > Eran ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/4 "2011-12-01T16:57:28Z")
Yes, using the same gateway allows for upgrade without reindexing (I think thats what you mean). On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Michael Sick \< [michael.sick@serenesoftware.com](mailto:michael.sick@serenesoftware.com)\> wrote: > Shay, > > Will it work even with the same Gateway? Just curious if this survives > upgrades in ES/Lucene. > > --Mike > > On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 11:23 AM, Shay Banon [kimchy@gmail.com](mailto:kimchy@gmail.com) wrote: > > > This does not work, if you want to switch gateway implementations, you > > need to reindex. > > > > On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Eran Kutner [eran@gigya-inc.com](mailto:eran@gigya-inc.com) wrote: > > > > > Hi, > > > I'm trying to copy indexes from an old ES cluster running 0.16.4 to a > > > new one running 0.18.5. > > > The old cluster was using the FS gateway and the new one is using the > > > local GW. So I copied the indices directory from the old FS GW under the > > > new /nodes/0/ directory and the old metadata content under the new \_state > > > I expected this to work and the server does indeed see all the indices > > > but all the shards are listed as unassigned and the metadata file which was > > > metadata-268 on the old cluster revered to metadata-2 after I started the > > > server. > > > > > > Is there a way to explicitly assign those shards to a master server? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Eran ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Sick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@Michael\_Sick](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Sick)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/5 "2011-12-01T17:02:07Z")
It is, I didn't know if the formats changed over time such that either Lucene or ES would not understand the old index/format. On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 11:57 AM, Shay Banon [kimchy@gmail.com](mailto:kimchy@gmail.com) wrote: > Yes, using the same gateway allows for upgrade without reindexing (I think > thats what you mean). > > On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Michael Sick \< > [michael.sick@serenesoftware.com](mailto:michael.sick@serenesoftware.com)\> wrote: > > > Shay, > > > > Will it work even with the same Gateway? Just curious if this survives > > upgrades in ES/Lucene. > > > > --Mike > > > > On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 11:23 AM, Shay Banon [kimchy@gmail.com](mailto:kimchy@gmail.com) wrote: > > > > > This does not work, if you want to switch gateway implementations, you > > > need to reindex. > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Eran Kutner [eran@gigya-inc.com](mailto:eran@gigya-inc.com) wrote: > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > I'm trying to copy indexes from an old ES cluster running 0.16.4 to a > > > > new one running 0.18.5. > > > > The old cluster was using the FS gateway and the new one is using the > > > > local GW. So I copied the indices directory from the old FS GW under the > > > > new /nodes/0/ directory and the old metadata content under the new \_state > > > > I expected this to work and the server does indeed see all the indices > > > > but all the shards are listed as unassigned and the metadata file which was > > > > metadata-268 on the old cluster revered to metadata-2 after I started the > > > > server. > > > > > > > > Is there a way to explicitly assign those shards to a master server? > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Eran ---
**Author:** ![Eran\_Kutner\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@Eran\_Kutner\_2](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eran_Kutner_2)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/6 "2011-12-01T18:45:04Z")
Thanks Shay. Using the FS gateway worked. ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/7 "2011-12-01T20:05:02Z")
cool, but, when you can, I highly recommend moving to the local gateway 🙂 On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 8:45 PM, Eran Kutner [eran@gigya-inc.com](mailto:eran@gigya-inc.com) wrote: > Thanks Shay. Using the FS gateway worked. ---
**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, 3:46am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-assign-unassigned-shards/6042/8 "2017-07-06T03:46:40Z")