# Run multiple instances of logstash **URL:** \ **Category:** Logstash\ **Created:** [August 11, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/run-multiple-instances-of-logstash/96803 "2017-08-11T16:56:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ashvita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@ashvita](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ashvita)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/run-multiple-instances-of-logstash/96803/1 "2017-08-11T16:56:02Z")
Hi, I am new to ELK stack. I am not sure how to run multiple instances of logstash. I have 5 config files with kafka streaming various topics as input and output as elastic search. How do I stream multiple config files at same time? I run all the config files at same time with command- bin/logstash -f abc.conf --path.data /home/elk/logstash-5.5.1/data bin/logstash -f xyz.conf --path.data /home/elk/logstash-5.5.1/data bin/logstash -f cpu.conf --path.data /home/elk/logstash-5.5.1/data But this gives me an error that logstash could not be started because there is already another instance using the configured data directory. How do I resolve this? ---
**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:** [August 11, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/run-multiple-instances-of-logstash/96803/2 "2017-08-11T18:00:41Z")
Use different data directories. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/run-multiple-instances-of-logstash/96803/3 "2017-09-08T18:00:45Z")
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