# When I installed the ELASTICSEARCH 8.8.1, I am not able to change the number of replicas of .security and .security-profile index

**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/when-i-installed-the-elasticsearch-8-8-1-i-am-not-able-to-change-the-number-of-replicas-of-security-and-security-profile-index/337597
**Category:** Kibana
**Tags:** elastic-stack-security
**Created:** [July 5, 2023, 4:07am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/when-i-installed-the-elasticsearch-8-8-1-i-am-not-able-to-change-the-number-of-replicas-of-security-and-security-profile-index/337597 "2023-07-05T04:07:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![KunwarAkanksha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kunwarakanksha/32/79144_2.png) [@KunwarAkanksha](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/KunwarAkanksha)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2023, 4:07am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/when-i-installed-the-elasticsearch-8-8-1-i-am-not-able-to-change-the-number-of-replicas-of-security-and-security-profile-index/337597/1 "2023-07-05T04:07:17Z")

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If the Node having the .security index goes down the whole cluster is not functioning. And superuser elastic is unable to edit the setting of this .security index

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### Author: ![tsullivan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tsullivan/32/31077_2.png) [@tsullivan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tsullivan)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2023, 4:26pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/when-i-installed-the-elasticsearch-8-8-1-i-am-not-able-to-change-the-number-of-replicas-of-security-and-security-profile-index/337597/2 "2023-07-12T16:26:40Z")

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The system indices uses an `auto_expand_replicas` setting which allows the cluster to add a replica if a node is available. System indices are designed this way so that the cluster state can be "green" even if the system indices have no replica.

Don't try to change settings of system indices. Just add another node, and the replica will be created.

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### Author: ![Yang\_Wang](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/yang_wang/32/48857_2.png) [@Yang\_Wang](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Yang_Wang)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/when-i-installed-the-elasticsearch-8-8-1-i-am-not-able-to-change-the-number-of-replicas-of-security-and-security-profile-index/337597/3 "2023-07-13T00:10:49Z")

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We have an open issue ([Productize a way to change index.auto\_expand\_replicas and index.number\_of\_replicas settings on the .security index · Issue #92992 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/92992)) to improve this.

> The system indices uses an `auto_expand_replicas` setting which allows the cluster to add a replica if a node is available.

The auto expand is current hard-coded as `0-1`. Therefore it will have at most 1 replica regardless of the number of nodes.

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### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 10, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/when-i-installed-the-elasticsearch-8-8-1-i-am-not-able-to-change-the-number-of-replicas-of-security-and-security-profile-index/337597/4 "2023-08-10T00:10:54Z")

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