# Yellow index (primary shard seems fine)

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [January 27, 2022, 9:26am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563 "2022-01-27T09:26:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Michael\_Ubry](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michael_ubry/32/98104_2.png) [@Michael\_Ubry](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Ubry)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 9:26am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563/1 "2022-01-27T09:26:09Z")

</div>

Hi,

most of my indices are yellow. I am curious about one particular index, which is important to me. Due to confidentiallity I have to rename it in Paint and in codes bellow.

When I use this code I get result whats in the screenshot bellow.

```auto
GET /_cat/shards?v&h=n,index,shard,prirep,state,sto,sc,unassigned.reason,unassigned.details&s=sto,index

```

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/0/4/0498b8a11906e6423102c55afedd5776eb48f247.png)

Then when I use this code

```auto
GET /_cluster/allocation/explain
{
  "index": "index1",
  "shard": 0,
  "primary": true
  
}

```

I get this result

```auto
{
  "index" : "index1",
  "shard" : 0,
  "primary" : true,
  "current_state" : "started",
  "current_node" : {
    "id" : "YW-3Wh3bSh2xvLbqcro13Q",
    "name" : "elasticsearch-es-default-0",
    "transport_address" : "confidential",
    "attributes" : {
      "k8s_node_name" : "confidential",
      "ml.machine_memory" : "4294967296",
      "xpack.installed" : "true",
      "transform.node" : "false",
      "ml.max_open_jobs" : "20"
    },
    "weight_ranking" : 1
  },
  "can_remain_on_current_node" : "yes",
  "can_rebalance_cluster" : "no",
  "can_rebalance_cluster_decisions" : [
    {
      "decider" : "rebalance_only_when_active",
      "decision" : "NO",
      "explanation" : "rebalancing is not allowed until all replicas in the cluster are active"
    },
    {
      "decider" : "cluster_rebalance",
      "decision" : "NO",
      "explanation" : "the cluster has unassigned shards and cluster setting [cluster.routing.allocation.allow_rebalance] is set to [indices_all_active]"
    }
  ],
  "can_rebalance_to_other_node" : "no",
  "rebalance_explanation" : "rebalancing is not allowed"
}

```

When I use the same code for non primary shard, it gives me this:

```auto
{
  "index" : "index1",
  "shard" : 0,
  "primary" : false,
  "current_state" : "unassigned",
  "unassigned_info" : {
    "reason" : "CLUSTER_RECOVERED",
    "at" : "2022-01-26T12:24:03.490Z",
    "last_allocation_status" : "no_attempt"
  },
  "can_allocate" : "no",
  "allocate_explanation" : "cannot allocate because allocation is not permitted to any of the nodes",
  "node_allocation_decisions" : [
    {
      "node_id" : "YW-3Wh3bSh2xvLbqcro13Q",
      "node_name" : "elasticsearch-es-default-0",
      "transport_address" : "confidential",
      "node_attributes" : {
        "k8s_node_name" : "confidential",
        "ml.machine_memory" : "4294967296",
        "xpack.installed" : "true",
        "transform.node" : "false",
        "ml.max_open_jobs" : "20"
      },
      "node_decision" : "no",
      "deciders" : [
        {
          "decider" : "same_shard",
          "decision" : "NO",
          "explanation" : "a copy of this shard is already allocated to this node [[index1][0], node[YW-3Wh3bSh2xvLbqcro13Q], [P], s[STARTED], a[id=39JTpw6pRFKcXWZIRoqKJA]]"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

```

Do you have any idea why my index1 is yellow?

Thank you

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sholzhauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/sholzhauer/32/110282_2.png) [@sholzhauer](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/sholzhauer)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 12:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563/2 "2022-01-27T12:08:54Z")

</div>

This looks to be an issue where your node(s) are having limits on what they can receive. Leaving only one node to host this index, and as a primary shard and replica cannot be hosted on the same node there is no place left where to store the replica shard.

Basically have a look at the routing settings for the index and see how many nodes match those requirement. I believe you will find only one node to match.

---

<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:** [January 27, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563/3 "2022-01-27T22:26:17Z")

</div>

What is the output from the `_cluster/stats?pretty&human` API?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Michael\_Ubry](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michael_ubry/32/98104_2.png) [@Michael\_Ubry](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Ubry)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 10:35am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563/4 "2022-01-31T10:35:40Z")

</div>

> [@warkolm](#):
>
> \_cluster/stats?pretty&human

Hi @warkolm, it gives me this.

```auto
{
  "_nodes" : {
    "total" : 1,
    "successful" : 1,
    "failed" : 0
  },
  "cluster_name" : "elasticsearch",
  "cluster_uuid" : "Hkfpdo4MScyV1H9hbowcXg",
  "timestamp" : 1643625185702,
  "status" : "yellow",
  "indices" : {
    "count" : 86,
    "shards" : {
      "total" : 88,
      "primaries" : 88,
      "replication" : 0.0,
      "index" : {
        "shards" : {
          "min" : 1,
          "max" : 3,
          "avg" : 1.0232558139534884
        },
        "primaries" : {
          "min" : 1,
          "max" : 3,
          "avg" : 1.0232558139534884
        },
        "replication" : {
          "min" : 0.0,
          "max" : 0.0,
          "avg" : 0.0
        }
      }
    },
    "docs" : {
      "count" : 15839049,
      "deleted" : 2035505
    },
    "store" : {
      "size" : "7.3gb",
      "size_in_bytes" : 7847193251,
      "reserved" : "0b",
      "reserved_in_bytes" : 0
    },
    "fielddata" : {
      "memory_size" : "6.3mb",
      "memory_size_in_bytes" : 6608184,
      "evictions" : 0
    },
    "query_cache" : {
      "memory_size" : "961.4kb",
      "memory_size_in_bytes" : 984511,
      "total_count" : 3468,
      "hit_count" : 1512,
      "miss_count" : 1956,
      "cache_size" : 69,
      "cache_count" : 101,
      "evictions" : 32
    },
    "completion" : {
      "size" : "0b",
      "size_in_bytes" : 0
    },
    "segments" : {
      "count" : 406,
      "memory" : "6.1mb",
      "memory_in_bytes" : 6496058,
      "terms_memory" : "3.4mb",
      "terms_memory_in_bytes" : 3609288,
      "stored_fields_memory" : "201kb",
      "stored_fields_memory_in_bytes" : 205904,
      "term_vectors_memory" : "0b",
      "term_vectors_memory_in_bytes" : 0,
      "norms_memory" : "389.9kb",
      "norms_memory_in_bytes" : 399296,
      "points_memory" : "0b",
      "points_memory_in_bytes" : 0,
      "doc_values_memory" : "2.1mb",
      "doc_values_memory_in_bytes" : 2281570,
      "index_writer_memory" : "30.4mb",
      "index_writer_memory_in_bytes" : 31931480,
      "version_map_memory" : "2.2mb",
      "version_map_memory_in_bytes" : 2385846,
      "fixed_bit_set" : "853.8kb",
      "fixed_bit_set_memory_in_bytes" : 874368,
      "max_unsafe_auto_id_timestamp" : 1643278535472,
      "file_sizes" : { }
    },
    "mappings" : {
      "field_types" : [
        {
          "name" : "alias",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "binary",
          "count" : 15,
          "index_count" : 4
        },
        {
          "name" : "boolean",
          "count" : 297,
          "index_count" : 41
        },
        {
          "name" : "byte",
          "count" : 2,
          "index_count" : 2
        },
        {
          "name" : "date",
          "count" : 479,
          "index_count" : 68
        },
        {
          "name" : "date_nanos",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "date_range",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "double",
          "count" : 2,
          "index_count" : 2
        },
        {
          "name" : "double_range",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "flattened",
          "count" : 9,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "float",
          "count" : 256,
          "index_count" : 36
        },
        {
          "name" : "float_range",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "geo_point",
          "count" : 88,
          "index_count" : 15
        },
        {
          "name" : "geo_shape",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "half_float",
          "count" : 57,
          "index_count" : 15
        },
        {
          "name" : "integer",
          "count" : 223,
          "index_count" : 25
        },
        {
          "name" : "integer_range",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "ip",
          "count" : 159,
          "index_count" : 14
        },
        {
          "name" : "ip_range",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "keyword",
          "count" : 7584,
          "index_count" : 79
        },
        {
          "name" : "long",
          "count" : 2098,
          "index_count" : 64
        },
        {
          "name" : "long_range",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "nested",
          "count" : 32,
          "index_count" : 13
        },
        {
          "name" : "object",
          "count" : 2671,
          "index_count" : 46
        },
        {
          "name" : "shape",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "short",
          "count" : 3,
          "index_count" : 2
        },
        {
          "name" : "text",
          "count" : 1267,
          "index_count" : 67
        }
      ]
    },
    "analysis" : {
      "char_filter_types" : [],
      "tokenizer_types" : [],
      "filter_types" : [
        {
          "name" : "pattern_capture",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        }
      ],
      "analyzer_types" : [
        {
          "name" : "custom",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        }
      ],
      "built_in_char_filters" : [],
      "built_in_tokenizers" : [
        {
          "name" : "uax_url_email",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        }
      ],
      "built_in_filters" : [
        {
          "name" : "lowercase",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        },
        {
          "name" : "unique",
          "count" : 1,
          "index_count" : 1
        }
      ],
      "built_in_analyzers" : []
    }
  },
  "nodes" : {
    "count" : {
      "total" : 1,
      "coordinating_only" : 0,
      "data" : 1,
      "data_cold" : 0,
      "data_content" : 0,
      "data_hot" : 0,
      "data_warm" : 0,
      "ingest" : 1,
      "master" : 1,
      "ml" : 1,
      "remote_cluster_client" : 0,
      "transform" : 0,
      "voting_only" : 0
    },
    "versions" : [
      "7.10.0"
    ],
    "os" : {
      "available_processors" : 1,
      "allocated_processors" : 1,
      "names" : [
        {
          "name" : "Linux",
          "count" : 1
        }
      ],
      "pretty_names" : [
        {
          "pretty_name" : "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.3 (Ootpa)",
          "count" : 1
        }
      ],
      "mem" : {
        "total" : "4gb",
        "total_in_bytes" : 4294967296,
        "free" : "1.1gb",
        "free_in_bytes" : 1242816512,
        "used" : "2.8gb",
        "used_in_bytes" : 3052150784,
        "free_percent" : 29,
        "used_percent" : 71
      }
    },
    "process" : {
      "cpu" : {
        "percent" : 0
      },
      "open_file_descriptors" : {
        "min" : 1591,
        "max" : 1591,
        "avg" : 1591
      }
    },
    "jvm" : {
      "max_uptime" : "4d",
      "max_uptime_in_millis" : 346842553,
      "versions" : [
        {
          "version" : "15.0.1",
          "vm_name" : "OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM",
          "vm_version" : "15.0.1+9",
          "vm_vendor" : "AdoptOpenJDK",
          "bundled_jdk" : true,
          "using_bundled_jdk" : true,
          "count" : 1
        }
      ],
      "mem" : {
        "heap_used" : "648.1mb",
        "heap_used_in_bytes" : 679669616,
        "heap_max" : "1gb",
        "heap_max_in_bytes" : 1073741824
      },
      "threads" : 54
    },
    "fs" : {
      "total" : "20gb",
      "total_in_bytes" : 21474836480,
      "free" : "10.9gb",
      "free_in_bytes" : 11715739648,
      "available" : "10.9gb",
      "available_in_bytes" : 11715739648
    },
    "plugins" : [],
    "network_types" : {
      "transport_types" : {
        "security4" : 1
      },
      "http_types" : {
        "security4" : 1
      }
    },
    "discovery_types" : {
      "zen" : 1
    },
    "packaging_types" : [
      {
        "flavor" : "default",
        "type" : "docker",
        "count" : 1
      }
    ],
    "ingest" : {
      "number_of_pipelines" : 20,
      "processor_stats" : {
        "convert" : {
          "count" : 0,
          "failed" : 0,
          "current" : 0,
          "time" : "0s",
          "time_in_millis" : 0
        },
        "csv" : {
          "count" : 0,
          "failed" : 0,
          "current" : 0,
          "time" : "0s",
          "time_in_millis" : 0
        },
        "date" : {
          "count" : 0,
          "failed" : 0,
          "current" : 0,
          "time" : "0s",
          "time_in_millis" : 0
        },
        "grok" : {
          "count" : 0,
          "failed" : 0,
          "current" : 0,
          "time" : "0s",
          "time_in_millis" : 0
        },
        "gsub" : {
          "count" : 0,
          "failed" : 0,
          "current" : 0,
          "time" : "0s",
          "time_in_millis" : 0
        },
        "remove" : {
          "count" : 0,
          "failed" : 0,
          "current" : 0,
          "time" : "0s",
          "time_in_millis" : 0
        },
        "script" : {
          "count" : 0,
          "failed" : 0,
          "current" : 0,
          "time" : "0s",
          "time_in_millis" : 0
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

```

---

<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:** [January 31, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563/5 "2022-01-31T21:48:37Z")

</div>

You only have one node, you cannot allocate primaries _and_ replicas to a single node as there's no value in doing so.  
You either need to set your replica's to 0, or add another node (preferably 2).

Also please consider upgrading, 7.10 is pretty old, 7.16 is latest and 8.0 is not far off being GA.

---

<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:** [February 28, 2022, 9:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/yellow-index-primary-shard-seems-fine/295563/6 "2022-02-28T21:49:01Z")

</div>

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