Deploy and Configure a Multi-Node Elasticsearch Cluster

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Deploy and Configure a Multi-Node Elasticsearch Cluster

Before we can get hands-on with indexing, searching, and aggregating our data with Elasticsearch, we first need to know how to prepare a system and how to deploy and configure Elasticsearch. In this hands-on lab, you will deploy a 6-node Elasticsearch cluster with a specific set of configuration requirements. Specifically, you will: * Create an `elastic` user * Configure the open limit * Set memory map limits via sysctl * Deploy Elasticsearch from an archive * Specify Elasticsearch cluster and node names * Create custom attributes for Elasticsearch nodes * Assign Elasticsearch node roles * Configure the Elasticsearch Java virtual machine (JVM) heap * Bind Elasticsearch to specific network addresses * Configure Elasticsearch node discovery * Configure Elasticsearch cluster bootstrap * Start Elasticsearch as a daemon * `curl` the Elasticsearch nodes to check status and configuration

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Lab Info

Level

Advanced

Last updated

Oct 23, 2025

Duration

3h 0m

Challenge

Prepare each node, create the elastic user, and deploy Elasticsearch.
Create the elastic user:
```
sudo useradd elastic
```
Open the limits.conf file as root:
```
sudo vim /etc/security/limits.conf
```
Add the following line near the bottom:
```
elastic - nofile 65536
```
Open the sysctl.conf file as root:
```
sudo vim /etc/sysctl.conf
```
Add the following line at the bottom:
```
vm.max_map_count=262144
```
Load the new sysctl values:
```
sudo sysctl -p
```
Become the elastic user:
```
sudo su - elastic
```
Download the binaries for Elasticsearch 7.2.1 in the elastic user's home directory:
```
curl -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-7.2.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
```
Unpack the archive:
```
tar -xzvf elasticsearch-7.2.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
```
Remove the archive:
```
rm elasticsearch-7.2.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
```
Rename the unpacked directory:
```
mv elasticsearch-7.2.1 elasticsearch
```

Challenge

Configure each node's elasticsearch.yml per instructions.

sudo su - elastic

Open the elasticsearch.yml file:

vim /home/elastic/elasticsearch/config/elasticsearch.yml

Change the following line:

#cluster.name: my-application

cluster.name: linux_academy

Change the following line on master-1:

#node.name: node-1

node.name: master-1

Change the following line on master-2:

#node.name: node-1

node.name: master-2

Change the following line on master-3:

#node.name: node-1

node.name: master-3

Change the following line on data-1:

#node.name: node-1

node.name: data-1

Change the following line on data-2:

#node.name: node-1

node.name: data-2

Change the following line on data-3:

#node.name: node-1

node.name: data-3

Change the following line on master-1:

#node.attr.rack: r1

node.attr.zone: 1

Change the following line on master-2:

#node.attr.rack: r1

node.attr.zone: 2

Change the following line on master-3:

#node.attr.rack: r1

node.attr.zone: 3

Change the following line on data-1:

#node.attr.rack: r1

node.attr.zone: 1

Add the following line on data-1:

node.attr.temp: hot

Change the following line on data-2:

#node.attr.rack: r1

node.attr.zone: 2

Add the following line on data-2:

node.attr.temp: hot

Change the following line on data-3:

#node.attr.rack: r1

node.attr.zone: 3

Add the following line on data-3:

node.attr.temp: warm

Add the following lines on master-1:

node.master: true
node.data: false
node.ingest: false

Add the following lines on master-2:

node.master: true
node.data: false
node.ingest: false

Add the following lines on master-3:

node.master: true
node.data: false
node.ingest: false

Add the following lines on data-1:

node.master: false
node.data: true
node.ingest: true

Add the following lines on data-2:

node.master: false
node.data: true
node.ingest: true

Add the following lines on data-3:

node.master: false
node.data: true
node.ingest: false

Change the following on each node:

#network.host: 192.168.0.1

network.host: [_local_, _site_]

Change the following on each node:

#discovery.seed_hosts: ["host1", "host2"]

discovery.seed_hosts: ["10.0.1.101", "10.0.1.102", "10.0.1.103"]

Change the following on each node:

#cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["node-1", "node-2"]

cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["master-1", "master-2", "master-3"]

Challenge

Configure the heap for each node per instructions.
Log in to each master node and become the elastic user:
```
sudo su - elastic
```
Open the jvm.options file:
```
vim /home/elastic/elasticsearch/config/jvm.options
```
Change the following lines:
```
-Xms1g
-Xmx1g
```
to
```
-Xms768m
-Xmx768m
```
Log in to each data node and become the elastic user:
```
sudo su - elastic
```
Open the jvm.options file:
```
vim /home/elastic/elasticsearch/config/jvm.options
```
Change the following lines:
```
-Xms1g
-Xmx1g
```
to
```
-Xms2g
-Xmx2g
```
Challenge

Start Elasticsearch as a daemon on each node.
Log in to each node and become the elastic user:
```
sudo su - elastic
```
Switch to the elasticsearch directory:
```
cd /home/elastic/elasticsearch
```
Start Elasticsearch as a daemon:
```
./bin/elasticsearch -d -p pid
```
Check the startup process:
```
less /home/elastic/elasticsearch/logs/linux_academy.log
```
Check the node configuration:
```
curl localhost:9200/_cat/nodes?v
```

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