Total Shard Per Node Unlimited
Total shards per node is set to unlimited (-1), so nothing stops runaway index or rollover patterns from piling shards onto individual nodes. Master nodes must maintain metadata for every shard, and unbounded growth is a common path to yellow or red cluster behavior.
For a complete list of insights, refer to AutoOps insights.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Component | Elasticsearch |
| Severity | Medium |
| Scope | Node |
| Domains | configuration, shard-allocation, stability |
The following is an example of what you might see when this insight is triggered. Real insights use live data and links from your deployment or cluster.
Total shards per node is configured to -1 that is, unlimited
AutoOps shows different recommendations depending on how their conditions match your deployment or cluster.
Set shards-per-node limit
Condition: Always shown for this insight.
Set cluster.routing.allocation.total_shards_per_node to 1000 with the action below. Review your index and shard design first so future growth stays within the limit.
PUT _cluster/settings?pretty
{
"persistent": {
"cluster.routing.allocation.total_shards_per_node": "1000"
}
}
Requires the manage cluster privilege. Requires Elasticsearch 8.0.0 or later. This action changes cluster or index configuration.
The number of shards allowed per node is unlimited. Applying a limit to the number of shards per node is preferable to allowing your applications to create an ever growing number of shards which might eventually cause your cluster to become unstable. The total number of shards per node is configured to -1, meaning unlimited.