# Manually copying an index?
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 10, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597 "2011-06-10T09:54:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@maho](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/maho)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597/1 "2011-06-10T09:54:45Z")
Hi,
is it possible create a new index an copying the index data from the
index folder in the filesystem of index a to index b?
Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597/2 "2011-06-10T12:03:21Z")
On Fri, 2011-06-10 at 02:54 -0700, maho wrote:
> Hi,
>
> is it possible create a new index an copying the index data from the
> index folder in the filesystem of index a to index b?
It is, but you'd need to script it yourself.
See for instance:
[http://blogs.perl.org/users/clinton\_gormley/2011/04/elasticsearchpm-v036-now-with-extra-sugar.html](http://blogs.perl.org/users/clinton_gormley/2011/04/elasticsearchpm-v036-now-with-extra-sugar.html)
clint
---
### Author:  [@maho](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/maho)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597/3 "2011-06-10T12:09:18Z")
Thanks for your answer.
Isn't it possible to copy the index in the filesystem because that
will be much faster.
On 10 Jun., 14:03, Clinton Gormley [clin...@iannounce.co.uk](mailto:clin...@iannounce.co.uk) wrote:
> On Fri, 2011-06-10 at 02:54 -0700, maho wrote:
>
> > Hi,
>
> > is it possible create a new index an copying the index data from the
> > index folder in the filesystem of index a to index b?
>
> It is, but you'd need to script it yourself.
>
> See for instance:
>
> [http://blogs.perl.org/users/clinton\_gormley/2011/04/elasticsearchpm-v](http://blogs.perl.org/users/clinton_gormley/2011/04/elasticsearchpm-v)...
>
> clint
---
### Author:  [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597/4 "2011-06-10T12:12:42Z")
On Fri, 2011-06-10 at 05:09 -0700, maho wrote:
> Thanks for your answer.
>
> Isn't it possible to copy the index in the filesystem because that
> will be much faster.
I don't think so. You used to be able to do that. It required an update
to the mappings file with a text editor, but that file is no longer
text.
clint
---
### Author:  [@maho](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/maho)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2011, 12:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597/5 "2011-06-10T12:21:03Z")
Do I also update the mapping file if i want to use the exact same
mapping configuration in the new index?
Or is there stored something like the core name or path to index?
On 10 Jun., 14:12, Clinton Gormley [clin...@iannounce.co.uk](mailto:clin...@iannounce.co.uk) wrote:
> On Fri, 2011-06-10 at 05:09 -0700, maho wrote:
>
> > Thanks for your answer.
>
> > Isn't it possible to copy the index in the filesystem because that
> > will be much faster.
>
> I don't think so. You used to be able to do that. It required an update
> to the mappings file with a text editor, but that file is no longer
> text.
>
> clint
---
### Author:  [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597/6 "2011-06-10T12:35:57Z")
On Fri, 2011-06-10 at 05:21 -0700, maho wrote:
> Do I also update the mapping file if i want to use the exact same
> mapping configuration in the new index?
>
> Or is there stored something like the core name or path to index?
Perhaps I haven't understood what you are trying to achieve. Are you
trying to create a new index as a copy of the old index so that you have
old\_index and new\_index, or are you trying to move your data from one
location in the file system to another?
If the latter, then you can just move the data directory and point to
the new location:
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>
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If the former, then you're going to have to use the API to copy the
index
clint
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/manually-copying-an-index/4597/7 "2017-07-06T04:03:53Z")