How to Install and Configure a Master Node for Your Elastic Cluster?

As part of deploying a high-performance and secure Elastic cluster, configuring a master node is a crucial step. This node will serve as the central point to which the other nodes in the cluster connect, ensuring data stability and consistency.

In this article, we will guide you step by step through the initial installation and configuration of the Elastic master node.

Before starting the configuration, make sure you have properly installed Elastic on your system.

To do so, refer to our article Elastic Installation: Simple Guide: https://www.insitu-it.com/en/blogue/installation-delasticsearch-guide-simple 

Also, ensure that you import the necessary certificates to secure communications within the cluster.

Once Elastic is installed, we will move on to configuring the master node. This node will play a crucial role in orchestrating communications and managing data between the different nodes in the cluster.

a. Open the configuration file

Use the text editor of your choice to edit the file. elasticsearch.yml :

# with Vim or with Nano

vim /etc/elasticsearch/elasticsearch.yml

# using Vim or Nano

nano /etc/elasticsearch/elasticsearch.yml

b. Edit the essential settings

In this file, locate the following lines and make sure to uncomment the necessary properties (by removing the # symbol at the beginning of each line).

Settings to configure:

CLUSTER

cluster.name: your_cluster_name

NODE

node.name: master_node_name

PATHS

path.data: /var/lib/elasticsearch
path.logs: /var/log/elasticsearch

NETWORK

network.host: 0.0.0.0 # Or the specific IP address of your network interface

DISCOVERY

discovery.seed_hosts: ["node_ip_address"]
cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["master_node_name"]

Depending on the version of Elastic you are using, the configuration differs slightly:

For versions prior to 8.0:

node.master: true

node.data: true

node.ingest: true

node.ml: false

For Elastic 8.0 and later versions:

node.roles: [ master, data, ingest ]

INSITU IT Tip: Even if your primary node is the master, it is recommended to also assign it the data and ingest roles for greater flexibility.

d. Additional configuration for non-master nodes

For nodes that will not act as master, make sure to add the following attribute to define the rack in your architecture. This helps improve data distribution and redundancy within your cluster:

node.attr.rack: nom_du_rack

Properly configuring a master node in Elastic is essential to ensure the resilience and performance of your environment. Take the time to carefully define the roles and settings of each node to guarantee a smooth and secure scaling process.

Want to go further? At INSITU, we support you in setting up, optimizing, and monitoring your Elastic infrastructures. Contact us for a personalized consultation!