# How to remove an index shard allocation include/exclude filter

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-remove-an-index-shard-allocation-include-exclude-filter/2106>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [June 8, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-remove-an-index-shard-allocation-include-exclude-filter/2106 "2015-06-08T01:11:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bsarkar](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/bsarkar/32/42967_2.png) [@bsarkar](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/bsarkar)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-remove-an-index-shard-allocation-include-exclude-filter/2106/1 "2015-06-08T01:11:36Z")

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I'm using Elasticsearch 1.3.4.

I've created an index with the following setting:

```
"index.routing.allocation.include.tag" : "value1"

```

`elasticsearch.yml` file contains the following line:

```
node.tag: value1

```

As part of some refactoring, I want to get rid of the `tag` attribute from `elasticsearch.yml` and create new indices without the above setting. But if I do that, shards of existing indices will not be allocated on the nodes which have the attribute removed.

For existing indices, while I can change the value of `"index.routing.allocation.include.tag"` to any string, apparently I "cannot get rid of it". Is this feature even supported? If yes, can you please help me solve this problem? If no, do you think this feature makes sense and should be supported?

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**Author:** ![eperry](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eperry/32/551_2.png) [@eperry](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/eperry)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-remove-an-index-shard-allocation-include-exclude-filter/2106/2 "2015-06-13T14:03:51Z")

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Sorry, I don't know routing to well but 2 items I might try

Try exporting, delete the index, then make your change and re-importing the index.

> **[taskrabbit/elasticsearch-dump](https://github.com/taskrabbit/elasticsearch-dump)**
>
> elasticsearch-dump - Import and export tools for elasticsearch

or Try the snapshot backup and restore  
[https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/1.4/modules-snapshots.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/1.4/modules-snapshots.html)

Hope this helps

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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:** [July 6, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-remove-an-index-shard-allocation-include-exclude-filter/2106/3 "2017-07-06T00:07:43Z")

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