# How to restore index data if I remove all my master nodes accidentally! **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 7, 2021, 7:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109 "2021-06-07T07:22:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hiren\_Loong](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/hiren_loong/32/89902_2.png) [@Hiren\_Loong](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Hiren_Loong)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 7:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/1 "2021-06-07T07:22:55Z")
There are 3 master nodes and 6 data nodes in my ES Cluster. ES version is 6.7.x. I delete virtual machines accidentally, so 3 master nodes are disappeared forever! But my 6 data nodes are still on. Is any possible to restore old data from the data nodes? Oh God! PLZ HELP ME! BTW: I have no snapshots, no backups @\_@ ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 7:27am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/2 "2021-06-07T07:27:10Z")
Which version of Elasticsearch are you using? Do you have a snapshot taken using the Elasticsearch APIs to restore from? ---
**Author:** ![Hiren\_Loong](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/hiren_loong/32/89902_2.png) [@Hiren\_Loong](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Hiren_Loong)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 7:32am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/3 "2021-06-07T07:32:58Z")
😫 version is 6.7. I don't have any snapshot. And i have already read Elasticsearch Reference, but it does not help. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2021, 7:47am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/4 "2021-06-07T07:47:11Z")
Welcome to our community! 😃 You _might_ be able to convert a data node to a master and see if that bootstraps the cluster back. But without backups there's no guarantee. ---
**Author:** ![Hiren\_Loong](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/hiren_loong/32/89902_2.png) [@Hiren\_Loong](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Hiren_Loong)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 9:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/6 "2021-06-07T09:39:47Z")
> [@warkolm](#): > > Welcome to our community! 😃 > > You _might_ be able to convert a data node to a master and see if that bootstraps the cluster back. But without backups there's no guarantee. Thanks for your help! I'm trying to solve the matter in other ways. Can I just write a application with JAVA Lucene to read the files from ES data nodes: 1. Fields: \*.fnm 2. Field Index: \*.fdx 3. Field Data: \*.fdt Is it possible to read the Key/Value from these files? Or anything else I missed? ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 9:45am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/7 "2021-06-07T09:45:00Z")
Why would you start with such a custom and unsupported approach? ---
**Author:** ![Hiren\_Loong](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/hiren_loong/32/89902_2.png) [@Hiren\_Loong](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Hiren_Loong)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 10:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/8 "2021-06-07T10:31:47Z")
Because the approach (_convert a data node to a master_) might not work If this happens, my final choice is and only is **Reading the files** 💀 ---
**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 10:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/9 "2021-06-07T10:50:05Z")
I would recommend trying to make the data nodes master eligible first though as it would save you a lot of work if it was successful. I believe Elasticsearch 6.x is more forgiving than 7.x so would not rule out that it could work. ---
**Author:** ![Hiren\_Loong](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/hiren_loong/32/89902_2.png) [@Hiren\_Loong](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Hiren_Loong)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 3:42am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/10 "2021-06-22T03:42:15Z")
Thanks a lot! _convert a data node to a master_ finally it works 😃 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 3:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-restore-index-data-if-i-remove-all-my-master-nodes-accidentally/275109/11 "2021-07-20T03:43:09Z")
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