Cluster update settings API

edit

Cluster update settings API

edit

Configures dynamic cluster settings.

Request

edit

PUT /_cluster/settings

Prerequisites

edit
  • If the Elasticsearch security features are enabled, you must have the manage cluster privilege to use this API.

Description

edit

You can configure and update dynamic settings on a running cluster using the cluster update settings API. You can also configure dynamic settings locally on an unstarted or shut down node using elasticsearch.yml.

Updates made using the cluster update settings API can be persistent, which apply across cluster restarts, or transient, which reset after a cluster restart. You can also reset transient or persistent settings by assigning them a null value using the API.

If you configure the same setting using multiple methods, Elasticsearch applies the settings in following order of precedence:

  1. Transient setting
  2. Persistent setting
  3. elasticsearch.yml setting
  4. Default setting value

For example, you can apply a transient setting to override a persistent setting or elasticsearch.yml setting. However, a change to an elasticsearch.yml setting will not override a defined transient or persistent setting.

If you use Elasticsearch Service, use the user settings feature to configure all cluster settings. This method lets Elasticsearch Service automatically reject unsafe settings that could break your cluster.

If you run Elasticsearch on your own hardware, use the cluster update settings API to configure dynamic cluster settings. Only use elasticsearch.yml for static cluster settings and node settings. The API doesn’t require a restart and ensures a setting’s value is the same on all nodes.

We no longer recommend using transient cluster settings. Use persistent cluster settings instead. If a cluster becomes unstable, transient settings can clear unexpectedly, resulting in a potentially undesired cluster configuration. See the Transient settings migration guide.

Query parameters

edit
flat_settings
(Optional, Boolean) If true, returns settings in flat format. Defaults to false.
include_defaults
(Optional, Boolean) If true, returns all default cluster settings. Defaults to false.
master_timeout
(Optional, time units) Period to wait for a connection to the master node. If no response is received before the timeout expires, the request fails and returns an error. Defaults to 30s.
timeout
(Optional, time units) Period to wait for a response. If no response is received before the timeout expires, the request fails and returns an error. Defaults to 30s.

Examples

edit

An example of a persistent update:

PUT /_cluster/settings
{
  "persistent" : {
    "indices.recovery.max_bytes_per_sec" : "50mb"
  }
}

An example of a transient update:

We no longer recommend using transient cluster settings. Use persistent cluster settings instead. If a cluster becomes unstable, transient settings can clear unexpectedly, resulting in a potentially undesired cluster configuration. See the Transient settings migration guide.

PUT /_cluster/settings?flat_settings=true
{
  "transient" : {
    "indices.recovery.max_bytes_per_sec" : "20mb"
  }
}

The response to an update returns the changed setting, as in this response to the transient example:

{
  ...
  "persistent" : { },
  "transient" : {
    "indices.recovery.max_bytes_per_sec" : "20mb"
  }
}

This example resets a setting:

PUT /_cluster/settings
{
  "transient" : {
    "indices.recovery.max_bytes_per_sec" : null
  }
}

The response does not include settings that have been reset:

{
  ...
  "persistent" : {},
  "transient" : {}
}

You can also reset settings using wildcards. For example, to reset all dynamic indices.recovery settings:

PUT /_cluster/settings
{
  "transient" : {
    "indices.recovery.*" : null
  }
}