# If more than one filebeat instance started, how do the modules work?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-more-than-one-filebeat-instance-started-how-do-the-modules-work/158950>\
**Category:** Beats\
**Created:** [November 30, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-more-than-one-filebeat-instance-started-how-do-the-modules-work/158950 "2018-11-30T17:58:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![argb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/argb/32/38266_2.png) [@argb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/argb)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-more-than-one-filebeat-instance-started-how-do-the-modules-work/158950/1 "2018-11-30T17:58:07Z")

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For some stupid reasons maybe I have to run more than one filebeat instance, if it is how do the modules work? Every instance will run one time for same files repeatedly? And how should i setup the config files?

Of course starting more instances is not a good solution but I have no better solution, because I have to send different logs which have different structures to different destinations. And I don't want to use logstash, because i just want to collect logs, obviously logstash is too heavy to do this work.

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**Author:** ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-more-than-one-filebeat-instance-started-how-do-the-modules-work/158950/2 "2018-12-03T22:41:04Z")

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When starting 2 instances, you want the to be isolated. This means:

- separate config files/dirs
- separate data directory -\> separate registry file and meta.json

Filebeat inputs/modules can be configured within your config file or in separate directories. For modules/inputs you want to configure the same for both filebeat instances it is better to put them into a directory (See: [Load external configuration files](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/filebeat/current/filebeat-configuration-reloading.html)).

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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:** [January 1, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/if-more-than-one-filebeat-instance-started-how-do-the-modules-work/158950/3 "2019-01-01T00:41:15Z")

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