# New cluster vs. existing on Kubernetes
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-cluster-vs-existing-on-kubernetes/206389
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [November 4, 2019, 11:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-cluster-vs-existing-on-kubernetes/206389 "2019-11-04T11:43:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bcbrockway](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/bcbrockway)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2019, 11:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-cluster-vs-existing-on-kubernetes/206389/1 "2019-11-04T11:43:59Z")
Hey, we ran into the same issue as this - [Recreate a cluster with the same cluster\_uuid in k8s stetefullset configuration](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/recreate-a-cluster-with-the-same-cluster-uuid-in-k8s-stetefullset-configuration/184731) - and will now add a persistent volume to the master nodes but I was wondering what best practices were when setting `cluster.initial_master_nodes`. At the moment we are just setting it unconditionally for all master nodes but the documentation says that:
> After the cluster has formed, this setting is no longer required. It should not be set for master-ineligible nodes, master-eligible nodes joining an existing cluster, or cluster restarts.
> **[Bootstrapping a cluster | Elasticsearch Guide \[7.4\] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/7.4/modules-discovery-bootstrap-cluster.html)**
What is the best way to determine whether a cluster has already been bootstrapped and have this setting added/removed appropriately?
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2019, 11:44am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/new-cluster-vs-existing-on-kubernetes/206389/2 "2019-12-02T11:44:03Z")
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