# Multi-node setup: Do they need same specs?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-node-setup-do-they-need-same-specs/128650>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [April 19, 2018, 7:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-node-setup-do-they-need-same-specs/128650 "2018-04-19T07:52:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![smlbiobot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/smlbiobot/32/29622_2.png) [@smlbiobot](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/smlbiobot)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 7:52am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-node-setup-do-they-need-same-specs/128650/1 "2018-04-19T07:52:55Z")

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**First question:** I have been running ES on a single node (mostly because of budgetary constraints). Right now it has reached its full capacity and I am looking into adding nodes to it. However, again, because of budgetary constraints, I would like to know if it is possible to put it on a server that does not have the same specs as the current one.

Docs seem to imply that I should have 3 nodes — so for example, is it possible to keep my current node running on a 6-core machine and then having the additional two running on 4-core machines? The main reason I am asking is because the 6-core machine in fact costs twice as much as the 4-core and I would like to limit my cost if possible.

**Second question:** If I run snapshots, on Node 1, the data from Node 2 and 3 will be saved also, correct? When I used the S3 plugin to save, the performance is often unideal, and I find myself first snapshotting using the FS method and then sync’ing the locally backed up snapshots to S3 after it has been saved locally. And I wonder if I have a multi-node setup, that I would still be able to do this.

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**Author:** ![JKhondhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@JKhondhu](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/JKhondhu)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 6:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-node-setup-do-they-need-same-specs/128650/2 "2018-04-19T18:18:58Z")

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> [@smlbiobot](#):
>
> is it possible to keep my current node running on a 6-core machine and then having the additional two running on 4-core machines?

Yes. Please note that Elasticsearch will work out its thread pools given the underlying hardware specifications.  
ref: [Thread Pool | Elasticsearch Reference [6.2] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/6.2/modules-threadpool.html)

> [@smlbiobot](#):
>
> If I run snapshots, on Node 1, the data from Node 2 and 3 will be saved also, correct?

Correct. `You can store snapshots of individual indices or an entire cluster`  
ref: [Snapshot And Restore | Elasticsearch Reference [6.2] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/6.2/modules-snapshots.html)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![smlbiobot](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/smlbiobot/32/29622_2.png) [@smlbiobot](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/smlbiobot)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 5:27am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-node-setup-do-they-need-same-specs/128650/3 "2018-04-20T05:27:32Z")

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Thanks very much this is very helpful!

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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:** [May 18, 2018, 5:27am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-node-setup-do-they-need-same-specs/128650/4 "2018-05-18T05:27:40Z")

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Closed on May 18, 2018, 5:27am UTC

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