# \[SOLVED\] Multiple Instances for Logstash

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/solved-multiple-instances-for-logstash/65539>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [November 9, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/solved-multiple-instances-for-logstash/65539 "2016-11-09T18:23:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![theuntergeek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/theuntergeek/32/44961_2.png) [@theuntergeek](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/theuntergeek)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/solved-multiple-instances-for-logstash/65539/2 "2016-11-09T18:50:14Z")

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There's a terrific way to do this.

You should make a duplicate of the `/etc/logstash` directory somewhere, or at least copy `log4j2.properties`, `logstash.yml`, and `startup.options` to a new directory.

You should edit the configuration in `logstash.yml` and `startup.options` so that `path.data` and `path.logs` are separate from the others, so as not to cause collisions. I use a subdirectory of `/var/log/logstash`. You need to define where `path.config` is, which is your path to logstash pipeline configuration files (like `/etc/logstash/conf.d`). If you plan on monitoring Logstash, you may want to manually set the `http.port` and/or `http.host` so you know which instance is which. If you do not set `path.data` to be different, there are potential collisions from plugins stored data, but that will depend on configuration.

In `startup.options`, you at need to define `LS_SETTINGS_DIR` to point to where you put `logstash.yml` and such, plus `SERVICE_NAME` and `SERVICE_DESCRIPTION` (I use `logstash_in` for both options on one instance, and `logstash_out` for both on my other instance). If `LS_HOME` is the package dir of `/usr/share/logstash`, then you can either hard-code or leave it blank.

Now, if you've made these edits to this directory, you can create another systemd instance (like the one you have) by running:

```auto
/usr/share/logstash/bin/system-install /path/to/settings/dir

```

You should then be able to run `systemctl status ${SERVICE_NAME}` substituting whatever you used for `SERVICE_NAME` and see the status.

Sorry for the rough instructions. Haven't made the blog post detailing this process yet.

**UPDATE:** This method can still be used, though its applications may be more limited. The suggested method now in 6.x is to use [`pipelines.yml`](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/6.1/multiple-pipelines.html) and have a single instance of Logstash run multiple, separate pipelines in parallel. With this approach, you don't _need_ to have separate JVMs to have independent pipelines. Of course, if you want it that way, the above description still works.

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