# Master Node configuration

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [March 30, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814 "2016-03-30T15:34:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sipazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@sipazzo](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sipazzo)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814/1 "2016-03-30T15:34:55Z")

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We will be using Elasticsearch in five environments each with it's own cluster. As we anticipate needing dedicated master nodes in most of the environments I though I could use a set of three different vms operating as masters for multiple environments - meaning running multiple nodes on each server that act as masters for the different clusters. Is this possible and if so what would be the downside? I am trying to limit the number of vms needed to run these clusters as having 3 masters and at least two data nodes for each environment is really a lot of overhead. Thank you in advance for any advice.

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**Author:** ![Glen\_Smith](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/glen_smith/32/111656_2.png) [@Glen\_Smith](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Glen_Smith)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814/2 "2016-03-30T16:01:34Z")

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Other than a tribe node, you can't have a node belong to multiple clusters.

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**Author:** ![sipazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@sipazzo](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sipazzo)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814/3 "2016-03-30T18:41:38Z")

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Thank you but to clarify (trying to use correct nomenclature as far as I understand it) you are saying a host cannot belong to multiple clusters? I wanted to run three nodes each belonging to different clusters on the same host.

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**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814/4 "2016-03-30T20:01:29Z")

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A host may run multiple ES nodes that each can belong to different clusters, but an ES node must belong to exactly one cluster.

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**Author:** ![Glen\_Smith](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/glen_smith/32/111656_2.png) [@Glen\_Smith](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Glen_Smith)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814/5 "2016-03-30T20:28:35Z")

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This.

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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:** [July 5, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/master-node-configuration/45814/6 "2017-07-05T23:03:54Z")

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