# How to change shards number?
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 7, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000 "2012-06-07T01:43:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dong\_Aihua](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Dong_Aihua)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000/1 "2012-06-07T01:43:50Z")
Hi,
Originally, I have 2 nodes with 2 shards. Now I added new node into the
cluster, and I want to change the shards to 3.
But after I modify the configuration, and restart the ES, the shards
still kept to 2.
How can I change the shards number?
Thanks.
-Regards-
-Jackie-
---
### Author:  [@Ivan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ivan)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000/2 "2012-06-07T02:22:59Z")
You cannot change the number of shards on a live index.
--
Ivan
On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 6:43 PM, jackiedong [jackiedong168@gmail.com](mailto:jackiedong168@gmail.com) wrote:
> Hi,
> Originally, I have 2 nodes with 2 shards. Now I added new node into the
> cluster, and I want to change the shards to 3.
> But after I modify the configuration, and restart the ES, the shards
> still kept to 2.
> How can I change the shards number?
> Thanks.
>
> -Regards-
> -Jackie-
---
### Author:  [@Dong\_Aihua](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Dong_Aihua)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2012, 5:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000/3 "2012-06-07T05:23:04Z")
what's your meaning of "live index"?
Do you mean once the index is created, the shards can't be changed anymore?
在 2012年6月7日星期四UTC+8上午10时22分59秒，Ivan Brusic写道：
> You cannot change the number of shards on a live index.
>
> --
> Ivan
>
> On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 6:43 PM, jackiedong [jackiedong168@gmail.com](mailto:jackiedong168@gmail.com)
> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > Originally, I have 2 nodes with 2 shards. Now I added new node into
> > the
> > cluster, and I want to change the shards to 3.
> > But after I modify the configuration, and restart the ES, the shards
> > still kept to 2.
> > How can I change the shards number?
> > Thanks.
> >
> > -Regards-
> > -Jackie-
---
### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000/4 "2012-06-07T05:52:00Z")
Yes. That's it.
So, it's an important number you have to choose before creating your index.
Replica can be modified live.
David 😉
Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr
Le 7 juin 2012 à 07:23, jackiedong [jackiedong168@gmail.com](mailto:jackiedong168@gmail.com) a écrit :
> what's your meaning of "live index"?
> Do you mean once the index is created, the shards can't be changed anymore?
>
> 在 2012年6月7日星期四UTC+8上午10时22分59秒，Ivan Brusic写道：
> You cannot change the number of shards on a live index.
>
> --
> Ivan
>
> On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 6:43 PM, jackiedong [jackiedong168@gmail.com](mailto:jackiedong168@gmail.com) wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > Originally, I have 2 nodes with 2 shards. Now I added new node into the
> > cluster, and I want to change the shards to 3.
> > But after I modify the configuration, and restart the ES, the shards
> > still kept to 2.
> > How can I change the shards number?
> > Thanks.
> >
> > -Regards-
> > -Jackie-
---
### Author:  [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000/5 "2012-06-10T21:34:19Z")
Btw, already with 2 shards and 1 replica, you scale up to 4 nodes without
needing to change it.
On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 7:52 AM, David Pilato [david@pilato.fr](mailto:david@pilato.fr) wrote:
> Yes. That's it.
> So, it's an important number you have to choose before creating your index.
>
> Replica can be modified live.
>
> David 😉
> Twitter : @dadoonet / @elasticsearchfr
>
> Le 7 juin 2012 à 07:23, jackiedong [jackiedong168@gmail.com](mailto:jackiedong168@gmail.com) a écrit :
>
> what's your meaning of "live index"?
> Do you mean once the index is created, the shards can't be changed anymore?
>
> 在 2012年6月7日星期四UTC+8上午10时22分59秒，Ivan Brusic写道：
>
> > You cannot change the number of shards on a live index.
> >
> > --
> > Ivan
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 6:43 PM, jackiedong [jackiedong168@gmail.com](mailto:jackiedong168@gmail.com)
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > > Originally, I have 2 nodes with 2 shards. Now I added new node into
> > > the
> > > cluster, and I want to change the shards to 3.
> > > But after I modify the configuration, and restart the ES, the shards
> > > still kept to 2.
> > > How can I change the shards number?
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > > -Regards-
> > > -Jackie-
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-change-shards-number/8000/6 "2017-07-06T03:24:59Z")