# Index lifecycle policy - warm phase not readonly

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-lifecycle-policy-warm-phase-not-readonly/275698
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Tags:** ilm-index-lifecycle-management
**Created:** [June 11, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-lifecycle-policy-warm-phase-not-readonly/275698 "2021-06-11T15:55:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![calauzon\_genetec](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/calauzon_genetec/32/121393_2.png) [@calauzon\_genetec](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/calauzon_genetec)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-lifecycle-policy-warm-phase-not-readonly/275698/1 "2021-06-11T15:55:19Z")

</div>

Hello,

I am confused about an index I created. I have a template, which uses a lifecycle policy as follows:

```auto
{
  "policy": {
    "phases": {
      "hot": {
        "actions": {
          "set_priority": {
            "priority": null
          }
        }
      },
      "warm": {
        "min_age": "1d",
        "actions": {
          "set_priority": {
            "priority": null
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

```

The index status I get using /\_ilm/explain is as follows:

```auto
{
  "indices" : {
    "<my index>" : {
      "index" : "<my index>",
      "managed" : true,
      "policy" : "<my policy name>",
      "lifecycle_date_millis" : <some date>,
      "age" : "1.89d",
      "phase" : "warm",
      "phase_time_millis" : <some date>,
      "action" : "complete",
      "action_time_millis" : <some date>,
      "step" : "complete",
      "step_time_millis" : <some date>,
      "phase_execution" : {
        "policy" : "<my policy name>",
        "phase_definition" : {
          "min_age" : "1d",
          "actions" : { }
        },
        "version" : <version number>,
        "modified_date_in_millis" : <some date>
      }
    }
  }
}

```

Clearly, my index, being more than 1 day old, is currently in the warm phase. However, I am still able to insert documents into it.

Based on the [documentation about ILM](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.13/ilm-index-lifecycle.html)

> - **Warm** : The index is no longer being updated but is still being queried.

I thought "warm" meant readonly. Is that not the case? If it does not mean readonly, what does warm do?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### 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 15, 2021, 4:04am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-lifecycle-policy-warm-phase-not-readonly/275698/2 "2021-06-15T04:04:49Z")

</div>

Have you tried adding a [read-only action](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/ilm-readonly.html) to the warm phase?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![calauzon\_genetec](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/calauzon_genetec/32/121393_2.png) [@calauzon\_genetec](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/calauzon_genetec)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2021, 12:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-lifecycle-policy-warm-phase-not-readonly/275698/3 "2021-06-30T12:14:08Z")

</div>

In the end it seems that it is recommended that the warm phase be readonly for performance concerns.

In my case we don't mind that it is still editable.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2021, 12:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/index-lifecycle-policy-warm-phase-not-readonly/275698/4 "2021-07-28T12:14:42Z")

</div>

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