Skip to content
Merged
Changes from 1 commit
Commits
File filter

Filter by extension

Filter by extension

Conversations
Failed to load comments.
Loading
Jump to
Jump to file
Failed to load files.
Loading
Diff view
Diff view
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -7,29 +7,26 @@ mapped_pages:

Phases allowed: hot, warm.

[Force merges](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-forcemerge) the index into the specified maximum number of [segments](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-segments).

::::{note}
Shards that are relocating during a `forcemerge` will not be merged.
::::

[Force merges](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-forcemerge) the index into the specified maximum number of [segments](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-indices-segments). This operation is best effort. For example, shards that are relocating during a `forcemerge` will not be merged.

To use the `forcemerge` action in the `hot` phase, the `rollover` action **must** be present. If no rollover action is configured, {{ilm-init}} will reject the policy.

:::::{admonition} Performance considerations
:name: ilm-forcemerge-performance

Force merge is a resource-intensive operation. If too many force merges are triggered at once, it can negatively impact your cluster. This can happen when you apply an {{ilm-init}} policy that includes a force merge action to existing indices. If they meet the `min_age` criteria, they can immediately proceed through multiple phases. You can prevent this by increasing the `min_age` or setting `index.lifecycle.origination_date` to change how the index age is calculated.

If you experience a force merge task queue backlog, you might need to increase the size of the force merge threadpool so indices can be force merged in parallel. To do this, configure the `thread_pool.force_merge.size` [cluster setting](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-cluster-get-settings).

::::{important}
This can have cascading performance impacts. Monitor cluster performance and increment the size of the thread pool slowly to reduce the backlog.
::::
Force merge is a resource-intensive operation. If too many force merges are triggered at once, it can negatively impact your cluster. For example, this can happen when you
* modify an existing {{ilm-init}} policy's phase `min_age` such that indices trigger into force-merging phase faster.
* apply an {{ilm-init}} policy that includes a force merge action to existing indices. If they meet the `min_age` criteria, they can immediately proceed through multiple actions. You can prevent this by increasing the `min_age` or setting `index.lifecycle.origination_date` to change how the index age is calculated.
* run the [{{ilm-init}} Move Step API](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-ilm-move-to-step) against multiple indices.

If you experience a force merge task queue backlog, you might need to increase the size of the force merge threadpool so indices can be force merged in parallel. To do this, configure the `thread_pool.force_merge.size` [cluster setting](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-cluster-get-settings). This is considered an expert setting override as this can have cascading performance impacts. Monitor cluster performance and increment the size of the thread pool slowly to reduce the backlog.

Force merging will be performed by the nodes within the current phase of the index. A forcemerge in the `hot` phase will use hot nodes with potentially faster nodes, while impacting ingestion more. A forcemerge in the `warm` phase will use warm nodes and potentially take longer to perform, but without impacting ingestion in the `hot` tier.
Force merging will be performed by the node hosting the shard. The [node's role](https://www.elastic.co/docs/deploy-manage/distributed-architecture/clusters-nodes-shards/node-roles#data-node-role) frequently is equal to the [data tier](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/lifecycle/data-tiers) of the {{ilm-init}}'s phase of the index, but this is not guaranteed. For example, a forcemerge in the
* `hot` phase will use hot nodes; however, performing merges on this potentially higher performance hardware may have a trade off of impacting ingestion.
* `warm` phase will use warm nodes; however, merges may potentially take longer to perform on less performant hardware but will avoid impacting ingestion in the `hot` tier.
* `cold` or `frozen` phase [{{ilm-init}} Searchable Snapshots](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/index-lifecycle-actions/ilm-searchable-snapshot) via `force_merge_index` happens on the preceeding data tier.

We recommend that merges be targetted against SSD and not HDD disks.
:::::


Expand Down
Loading