Is Elasticsearch slow? Speed up your searches with these tips!

Is Elasticsearch slow? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back! ???

Have you ever felt like Elasticsearch is slower than a turtle with asthma? ?? If so, relax, you’re not alone! Elasticsearch is an incredibly powerful tool, but sometimes it can be a bit finicky when it comes to performance. But don’t fret, today I'm going to share some tricks to make your searches fly like a rocket. ??

1. Size Matters: Not all shards are created equal! ??

Imagine Elasticsearch is like a giant library. ?? The shards are like the shelves where books (your data) are stored. If the shelves are too large, finding the book you need will be a nightmare. ?? And if they’re too small, you’ll have a chaotic mess of shelves everywhere. ?? The ideal balance for Elasticsearch is to keep each shard between 30 GB and 60 GB. This way, everything stays organized and accessible!

2. Efficient Indexing: Organization is key! ???

If you’ve ever tried to find something in a messy room, you know how frustrating it can be. ?? The same goes for Elasticsearch. If your indices are a mess, searches will be slow and painful. ?? So make sure to:

• Use the correct data types: Imagine searching for a cookbook in a library. ?? If you search by title, you need the title properly indexed. Same with Elasticsearch: use the right data types for each field.
• Don’t overdo it with fields: Indexing all fields is like trying to read every book in the library at once. ?? Only index the fields you really need for your searches.
• Custom analyzers: Analyzers are like Elasticsearch’s librarians. ?? Choose the ones that best suit your needs, but don’t complicate things if it’s not necessary.

3. OS Cache: Your secret speed ally! ?

The OS cache is like your computer’s short-term memory. When Elasticsearch needs to access data, it first looks in the OS cache, which is much faster than reading from disk. If the data is in the cache, boom, the search is instant.

• Let the OS work its magic: Elasticsearch is designed to make the most of the OS cache, so generally, you don’t need to do anything special to configure it.
• Allocate enough memory to Elasticsearch: Make sure Elasticsearch has enough memory allocated to store as much data in cache as possible.
• Monitor cache usage: Use monitoring tools to see how much OS cache Elasticsearch is using and if there are any bottlenecks. Remember, the OS cache is your friend! The more data it can store in cache, the faster your searches will be.

4. Powerful Hardware: Give Elasticsearch what it needs! ??

Elasticsearch is like a race car: it needs a good engine to run at top speed. ??? Make sure you have enough RAM, CPU, and storage for Elasticsearch to run smoothly. And if possible, use SSDs, which are like adding nitro to your car. ??

5. Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on everything! ??

Elasticsearch has monitoring tools that let you see what’s happening under the hood. ??? Use them to identify issues and make adjustments to improve performance.

6. Update Elasticsearch: Don’t fall behind! ??

New versions of Elasticsearch are usually faster and have new features. Keep your cluster updated to take advantage of all the improvements!

Enjoy lightning-fast searches! ?

With these tips, Elasticsearch should run like a lightning bolt. ? Remember, optimization is an ongoing process, so don’t rest on your laurels. Keep experimenting and adjusting the settings to get the most out of Elasticsearch.

And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’ll be happy to help. ??

Alejandro Sánchez Losa

Customer Architect @ Elastic

ML/AI Enthusiast and Master in Blockchain

Connect with me on LinkedIn!