# Problem with unassigned Shards
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [January 9, 2017, 6:40am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919 "2017-01-09T06:40:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@McElroy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/McElroy)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2017, 6:40am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919/1 "2017-01-09T06:40:59Z")
Hello,
I came to work from my holidays today and have some troubles with my shards.
\> {
\> "cluster\_name" : "elasticsearch",
\> "status" : "yellow",
\> "timed\_out" : false,
\> "number\_of\_nodes" : 5,
\> "number\_of\_data\_nodes" : 4,
\> "active\_primary\_shards" : 5535,
\> "active\_shards" : 5545,
\> "relocating\_shards" : 0,
\> "initializing\_shards" : 0,
\> "unassigned\_shards" : 11060,
\> "delayed\_unassigned\_shards" : 0,
\> "number\_of\_pending\_tasks" : 0,
\> "number\_of\_in\_flight\_fetch" : 0,
\> "task\_max\_waiting\_in\_queue\_millis" : 0,
\> "active\_shards\_percent\_as\_number" : 33.3935561577838
\> }
Any ideas on how to fix that?
---
### Author:  [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919/2 "2017-01-09T07:01:49Z")
You _really_ need to reduce that shard count, it's way too high!
However check your master logs for why.
---
### Author:  [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2017, 7:02am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919/3 "2017-01-09T07:02:10Z")
Have a look at the pending tasks and your logs.
That being said you have a way too much shards per node IMO.
---
### Author:  [@McElroy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/McElroy)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919/4 "2017-01-09T07:46:58Z")
I found the problem my diskspace-watermark was too low.
How can I reduce it? I can't change the number shards once they are configured, if I remember it correct.
---
### Author:  [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2017, 7:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919/5 "2017-01-09T07:48:30Z")
If you are on 5+ you can use `_shrink`.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 6, 2017, 7:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/problem-with-unassigned-shards/70919/6 "2017-02-06T07:48:40Z")
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