# Managing ES servers with differing data disk sizes **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [July 29, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/managing-es-servers-with-differing-data-disk-sizes/18953 "2014-07-29T16:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chris\_Neal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chris_neal/32/3527_2.png) [@Chris\_Neal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Chris_Neal)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/managing-es-servers-with-differing-data-disk-sizes/18953/1 "2014-07-29T16:12:21Z")
Hello ES users, I have a question about how to manage an ES cluster where the servers have different sized data disks. I have 4 servers with 1 x 1TB disks for ES data, and I am planning on adding an additional 2 servers that will have 4 x 4TB disks for ES data. Is ES "aware" of the capacity of its data disks at all and do anything to balance the load evenly, or will that fall to me to manually move shards around to do that? Thanks for the input πŸ™‚ Chris -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g\_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/managing-es-servers-with-differing-data-disk-sizes/18953/2 "2014-07-29T16:14:09Z")
Since version 1.3.0, yes: [http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/index-modules-allocation.html#disk](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/index-modules-allocation.html#disk) -- David Pilato | Technical Advocate | [Elasticsearch.com](http://Elasticsearch.com) @dadoonet | @elasticsearchfr Le 29 juillet 2014 Γ  18:12:24, Chris Neal ([chris.neal@derbysoft.net](mailto:chris.neal@derbysoft.net)) a Γ©crit: Hello ES users, I have a question about how to manage an ES cluster where the servers have different sized data disks. I have 4 servers with 1 x 1TB disks for ES data, and I am planning on adding an additional 2 servers that will have 4 x 4TB disks for ES data. Is ES "aware" of the capacity of its data disks at all and do anything to balance the load evenly, or will that fall to me to manually move shards around to do that? ## Thanks for the input πŸ™‚ Chris You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g\_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/etPan.53d7c851.12200854.f0d0%40MacBook-Air-de-David.local](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/etPan.53d7c851.12200854.f0d0%40MacBook-Air-de-David.local). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![nik9000](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/nik9000/32/44947_2.png) [@nik9000](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nik9000)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/managing-es-servers-with-differing-data-disk-sizes/18953/3 "2014-07-29T16:16:52Z")
On Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 12:12 PM, Chris Neal [chris.neal@derbysoft.net](mailto:chris.neal@derbysoft.net) wrote: > Hello ES users, > > I have a question about how to manage an ES cluster where the servers have > different sized data disks. I have 4 servers with 1 x 1TB disks for ES > data, and I am planning on adding an additional 2 servers that will have 4 > x 4TB disks for ES data. > > Is ES "aware" of the capacity of its data disks at all and do anything to > balance the load evenly, or will that fall to me to manually move shards > around to do that? It'll make sure it doesn't fill up the disks if you enable the disk allocaiton decider (enabled by default from 1.3 onwards) but beyond it won't do anything like balance shards proportionally to disk capacity. In many cases that wouldn't be the right thing to do anyway. You can use the allocation awareness api stick shards to some machines or force them away from others but there is no way to say "this node is twice as good put twice as many shards on it" without running two copies of Elasticsearch on the node. > Thanks for the input πŸ™‚ > Chris > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "elasticsearch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > To view this discussion on the web visit > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g\_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com) > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g\_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > . > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAPmjWd2WzPFRZAQSBZnVkVp%3DgppX5JGf%2BqqFUfPpQ1\_tTQ-hQA%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAPmjWd2WzPFRZAQSBZnVkVp%3DgppX5JGf%2BqqFUfPpQ1_tTQ-hQA%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Neal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/chris_neal/32/3527_2.png) [@Chris\_Neal](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Chris_Neal)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/managing-es-servers-with-differing-data-disk-sizes/18953/4 "2014-07-29T21:29:50Z")
Thanks very much guys for your input. I'm in the process of upgrading from 1.2.2 to 1.3.1 now, so I'll read up on the Index Shard Allocation link! Chris On Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 11:16 AM, Nikolas Everett [nik9000@gmail.com](mailto:nik9000@gmail.com) wrote: > On Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 12:12 PM, Chris Neal [chris.neal@derbysoft.net](mailto:chris.neal@derbysoft.net) > wrote: > > > Hello ES users, > > > > I have a question about how to manage an ES cluster where the servers > > have different sized data disks. I have 4 servers with 1 x 1TB disks for > > ES data, and I am planning on adding an additional 2 servers that will have > > 4 x 4TB disks for ES data. > > > > Is ES "aware" of the capacity of its data disks at all and do anything to > > balance the load evenly, or will that fall to me to manually move shards > > around to do that? > > It'll make sure it doesn't fill up the disks if you enable the disk > allocaiton decider (enabled by default from 1.3 onwards) but beyond it > won't do anything like balance shards proportionally to disk capacity. In > many cases that wouldn't be the right thing to do anyway. You can use the > allocation awareness api stick shards to some machines or force them away > from others but there is no way to say "this node is twice as good put > twice as many shards on it" without running two copies of Elasticsearch on > the node. > > > Thanks for the input πŸ™‚ > > Chris > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "elasticsearch" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > > To view this discussion on the web visit > > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g\_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com) > > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g\_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3DpgCrPrkKTjV29i%3Dm9Jg8g_%2BvgoO6Ai7q4WZOuUbJcbvpg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > > . > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "elasticsearch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > To view this discussion on the web visit > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAPmjWd2WzPFRZAQSBZnVkVp%3DgppX5JGf%2BqqFUfPpQ1\_tTQ-hQA%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAPmjWd2WzPFRZAQSBZnVkVp%3DgppX5JGf%2BqqFUfPpQ1_tTQ-hQA%40mail.gmail.com) > [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAPmjWd2WzPFRZAQSBZnVkVp%3DgppX5JGf%2BqqFUfPpQ1\_tTQ-hQA%40mail.gmail.com?utm\_medium=email&utm\_source=footer](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAPmjWd2WzPFRZAQSBZnVkVp%3DgppX5JGf%2BqqFUfPpQ1_tTQ-hQA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer) > . > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3Dpi6QRi4rtViwdrQw50GfUWAGepjivxHv7BqavqG9-Rv0g%40mail.gmail.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/CAND3Dpi6QRi4rtViwdrQw50GfUWAGepjivxHv7BqavqG9-Rv0g%40mail.gmail.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**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, 1:12am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/managing-es-servers-with-differing-data-disk-sizes/18953/5 "2017-07-06T01:12:25Z")