---
title: Snapshot and restore settings
description: The following cluster settings configure snapshot and restore and snapshot lifecycle management (SLM). The following cluster settings configure snapshot...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/snapshot-restore-settings
products:
  - Elasticsearch
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Hosted: Generally available
  - Self-managed Elastic deployments: Generally available
---

# Snapshot and restore settings
The following cluster settings configure [snapshot and restore](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/tools/snapshot-and-restore) and [snapshot lifecycle management (SLM)](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/tools/snapshot-and-restore/create-snapshots#automate-snapshots-slm).
<tip>
  This page covers general snapshot and restore settings. For client connection and per-repository settings specific to each repository type, refer to:
  - [S3 repository settings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/s3-repository-settings)
  - [Azure repository settings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/azure-repository-settings)
  - [GCS repository settings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/gcs-repository-settings)
  - [Shared file system repository settings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/fs-repository-settings)
  - [Read-only URL repository settings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/url-repository-settings)
  - [Source-only repository settings](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/configuration-reference/source-repository-settings)
  - [Hadoop HDFS repository](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/plugins/repository-hdfs)
</tip>


<definitions>
  <definition term="snapshot.max_concurrent_operations">
    ([Dynamic](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/stack-settings#dynamic-cluster-setting), integer) Maximum number of concurrent snapshot operations. Defaults to `1000`.
    This limit applies in total to all ongoing snapshot creation, cloning, and deletion operations. Elasticsearch will reject any operations that would exceed this limit.
  </definition>
</definitions>


## SLM settings

The following cluster settings configure [snapshot lifecycle management (SLM)](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/tools/snapshot-and-restore/create-snapshots#automate-snapshots-slm).

<definitions>
  <definition term="slm.history_index_enabled">
    ([Dynamic](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/stack-settings#dynamic-cluster-setting), Boolean) Controls whether SLM records the history of actions taken as part of SLM policies to the `slm-history-*` indices. Defaults to `true`.
  </definition>
</definitions>


<definitions>
  <definition term="slm.retention_schedule">
    ([Dynamic](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/stack-settings#dynamic-cluster-setting), [cron scheduler value](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/explore-analyze/alerting/watcher/schedule-types#schedule-cron)) Controls when the [retention task](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/tools/snapshot-and-restore/create-snapshots#slm-retention-task) runs. Can be a periodic or absolute time schedule. Supports all values supported by the [cron scheduler](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/explore-analyze/alerting/watcher/schedule-types#schedule-cron). Defaults to daily at 1:30am UTC: `0 30 1 * * ?`.
  </definition>
</definitions>


<definitions>
  <definition term="slm.retention_duration">
    ([Dynamic](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/stack-settings#dynamic-cluster-setting), [time value](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/reference/elasticsearch/rest-apis/api-conventions#time-units)) Limits how long SLM should spend deleting old snapshots. Defaults to one hour: `1h`.
  </definition>
</definitions>


<definitions>
  <definition term="slm.health.failed_snapshot_warn_threshold">
    ([Dynamic](https://docs-v3-preview.elastic.dev/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3064/deploy-manage/stack-settings#dynamic-cluster-setting), Long) The number of failed invocations since last successful snapshot that indicate a problem with the policy in the health api. Defaults to a health api warning after five repeated failures: `5L`.
  </definition>
</definitions>