# Using ILM rollover with multiple indices

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** ilm-index-lifecycle-management\
**Created:** [August 2, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443 "2020-08-02T03:40:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SaigyoujiYuyuko233](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/saigyoujiyuyuko233/32/73187_2.png) [@SaigyoujiYuyuko233](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/SaigyoujiYuyuko233)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443/1 "2020-08-02T03:40:01Z")

</div>

### Enviroment

ES: 7.8.1  
Kibana: 7.8.1  
Run in docker: 19.03.8, build afacb8b  
Using docker image: [docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:7.8.1](http://docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:7.8.1)

Hi everybody,  
I'm having a hard time with using ILM rollover with `multiple indices`.  
For example, I have tree indices.

- index-xxx
- index-yyy
- index-zzz  
and they have same alias: index-all

The index template is:

- index pattern: index-\*
- Setting

```auto
{
  "index": {
    "lifecycle": {
      "name": "index-ilm",
      "rollover_alias": "index-all"
    }
  }
}

```

- Alias

```auto
{
  "index-all": {}
}

```

The ILM rollover is enabled.  
The problem is, when the ILM start, it tells me that  
`illegal_argument_exception: source alias [index-all] does not point to a write index`  
I read the doc and the doc tells me that I should set `is_write_index: true` for one of my index.  
But I have multiple indices and ES only allow me to set one of my index, how can I deal with it.

### Purpose

I want all my index can use rollover using same alias like:

- index-xxx-00001
- index-yyy-00001
- index-zzz -00001
- index-xxx-00002
- index-yyy-00002
- index-zzz -00002
- shrink-index-xxx
- shrink-index-yyy-00001
- shrink-index-zzz -00001

# Another Problem

When I disable the `rollover` , it follow each stage min\_age, but when a index go into shrink/cold stage(shrink-index-zzz), I try to insert a new doc in index shrink-index-zzz, it will not auto create a new index and return 403 Forbiddent.

Thanks for helping!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 9:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443/2 "2020-08-02T09:50:29Z")

</div>

If you want to use rollover I believe you need a policy per index name patter as they need to have different write aliases.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SaigyoujiYuyuko233](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/saigyoujiyuyuko233/32/73187_2.png) [@SaigyoujiYuyuko233](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/SaigyoujiYuyuko233)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443/3 "2020-08-03T01:39:40Z")

</div>

yearh... I agree. Is there have some better solution?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 5:37am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443/4 "2020-08-03T05:37:56Z")

</div>

Why not use standard time based indices, but change from daily to weekly or monthly. If an index gets too large you can always split it later.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SaigyoujiYuyuko233](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/saigyoujiyuyuko233/32/73187_2.png) [@SaigyoujiYuyuko233](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/SaigyoujiYuyuko233)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 9:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443/5 "2020-08-05T09:16:09Z")

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That is a good way to do it but I still want to use the rollover function. 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 9:26am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443/6 "2020-08-05T09:26:06Z")

</div>

Then i believe you need to find a way to create/manage a policy per index pattern. 🙂

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<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:** [September 2, 2020, 9:26am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-ilm-rollover-with-multiple-indices/243443/7 "2020-09-02T09:26:07Z")

</div>

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