# Snapshot with multiple indices fails on closed one

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/snapshot-with-multiple-indices-fails-on-closed-one/35063>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [November 19, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/snapshot-with-multiple-indices-fails-on-closed-one/35063 "2015-11-19T14:42:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![skundrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skundrik](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/skundrik)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/snapshot-with-multiple-indices-fails-on-closed-one/35063/1 "2015-11-19T14:42:39Z")

</div>

Hi,

I'm trying to do a backup of indices using wildcard where some are closed and I get error (see below). I'm using version 2.0.0.

Is this expected or is it a bug?

* * *

Request:

```
PUT /_snapshot/logstash_backup/snapshot_2015.11.19_00
{
  "indices": "logstash*",
  "ignore_unavailable": true,
  "include_global_state": false,
  "partial": false
}

```

Response:

```
{
  "error": {
    "root_cause": [
       {
          "type": "cluster_block_exception",
          "reason": "blocked by: [FORBIDDEN/4/index closed];"
       }
    ],
    "type": "cluster_block_exception",
    "reason": "blocked by: [FORBIDDEN/4/index closed];"
  },
  "status": 403
}
```

---

<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:** [November 20, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/snapshot-with-multiple-indices-fails-on-closed-one/35063/2 "2015-11-20T03:28:12Z")

</div>

[The docs state](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/modules-snapshots.html#_snapshot);

> The snapshot request also supports the ignore\_unavailable option. Setting it to true will cause indices that do not exist to be ignored during snapshot creation. By default, when ignore\_unavailable option is not set and an index is missing the snapshot request will fail.

But they don't really specify what they mean by _indices that do not exist_, and even though closed indices exist, I'd have thought that they'd fall under the ignore parameter as well. I will see if I can someone to comment on this a bit further.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![skundrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skundrik](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/skundrik)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 7:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/snapshot-with-multiple-indices-fails-on-closed-one/35063/3 "2015-11-20T07:43:05Z")

</div>

Judging by this [API conventions doc fur multiple indices](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/multi-index.html)

> ignore\_unavailable  
> Controls whether to ignore if any specified indices are unavailable, this includes indices that don’t exist or closed indices. Either true or false can be specified.

I'm inclined to believe it should work on closed as well.

---

<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 5, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/snapshot-with-multiple-indices-fails-on-closed-one/35063/4 "2017-07-05T23:37:00Z")

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