# Max File Descriptors

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [June 15, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673 "2015-06-15T08:34:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![egrimisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@egrimisu](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/egrimisu)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673/1 "2015-06-15T08:34:48Z")

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Hi again,

I was configuring file descriptors limit and when i have executed the curl command below i just saw that there were 2 elasticsearch nodes in my system, wich seems to be false, i have only one, i'm not sure why there are 2?  
Strangely one has the filedescriptors limit to 64k as expected the other one to 16k, i'm not sure why do i have 2 and if i have to get rid of one how to do it.

Thanks in advance.

```
root@elastichosttest:~# curl localhost:9200/_nodes/process?pretty
{
  "cluster_name" : "elasticsearch",
  "nodes" : {
    "bXBclyMkSr-Ze5rZjN7uWg" : {
      "name" : "logstash-elastichosttest-407-2040",
      "transport_address" : "inet[/10.108.17.24:9301]",
      "host" : "elastichosttest",
      "ip" : "127.0.1.1",
      "version" : "1.1.1",
      "build" : "f1585f0",
      "attributes" : {
        "data" : "false",
        "client" : "true"
      },
      "process" : {
        "refresh_interval_in_millis" : 1000,
        "id" : 407,
        "max_file_descriptors" : 16384,
        "mlockall" : false
      }
    },
    "_gQVh3alSNyjpxwlAa17Lg" : {
      "name" : "Mark Raxton",
      "transport_address" : "inet[localhost/127.0.0.1:9300]",
      "host" : "elastichosttest",
      "ip" : "127.0.1.1",
      "version" : "1.4.5",
      "build" : "2aaf797",
      "http_address" : "inet[localhost/127.0.0.1:9200]",
      "process" : {
        "refresh_interval_in_millis" : 1000,
        "id" : 1513,
        "max_file_descriptors" : 65535,
        "mlockall" : true
      }
    }
  }
}
```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673/2 "2015-06-15T22:59:59Z")

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As the name suggests, this is your LS instance.  
The ES output in LS defaults to the node protocol, which means it joins the cluster.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![egrimisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@egrimisu](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/egrimisu)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2015, 8:59am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673/3 "2015-06-19T08:59:05Z")

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So if I understand right everytime the elasticsearch start a new name is allocated to the instance?  
is it normal to have only 16k max\_file\_descriptors in the cluster as the instance has 64k? does it need to be configured aswell somewhere?  
Thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673/4 "2015-06-20T01:23:02Z")

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Unless you define `node.name` then yes, it will pick a new name at random.

I wouldn't worry about the descriptors for the LS node.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![egrimisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@egrimisu](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/egrimisu)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673/5 "2015-06-23T11:50:28Z")

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Thanks for all the informations. Cheers

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<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 6, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/max-file-descriptors/2673/6 "2017-07-06T00:05:57Z")

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