Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner
In a significant update, Amazon OpenSearch Service has introduced the ability to deploy domains across three Availability Zones (AZs). This enhancement is now available in all AWS Regions featuring a minimum of three AZs. By utilizing this capability, you can effectively distribute your master and data nodes, improving resilience against potential Availability Zone failures.
The AWS Management Console has also been upgraded to facilitate a smoother experience, allowing you to customize your domain based on specific use cases. When setting up a new Amazon OpenSearch domain, you can easily select the type of deployment that suits your needs, with the service automatically configuring the necessary settings.
For production environments, Amazon OpenSearch automatically allocates nodes across multiple Availability Zones while prompting you to configure dedicated master instances, which are crucial for maintaining higher availability in production workloads. If you’re working on development or testing, the setup defaults to a single Availability Zone. The Custom option allows for a more hands-on approach, providing visibility into all available configurations.
Regardless of your initial setup choices, you retain the flexibility to modify your domain’s configuration at any time. Simply access the console and select the Configure cluster option to fine-tune your setup with the wizard.
Deploying across three Availability Zones has notable implications for the layout of both master and data nodes. Let’s examine these elements more closely.
Master Nodes
Master nodes are vital for maintaining cluster stability, which is why we advocate for a minimum of three dedicated master nodes in production environments. Historically, these nodes were distributed across just two Availability Zones, creating a risk: if the AZ containing the majority of master nodes failed, the Amazon OpenSearch domain could lose quorum and cease normal operations.
Deploying across three Availability Zones ensures an even distribution of master nodes, which mitigates this risk. In the rare event of an AZ outage, at least two master nodes remain operational, preserving quorum and cluster functionality.
Amazon OpenSearch automatically distributes master nodes across three Availability Zones under the following conditions:
- You select the 2-AZ or 3-AZ deployment option.
- The region has a physical presence of three Availability Zones.
- The chosen instance type is available in those zones.
Data Nodes
Implementing data nodes across three Availability Zones can further enhance your domain’s availability. When establishing a new domain, consider the following factors: the number of Availability Zones, the number of replicas, and the total number of nodes. The right combination of these elements can significantly elevate your system’s resilience and availability.
For instance, deploying data nodes across three Availability Zones with one replica can improve your tolerance to AZ failures. If one zone fails, you only lose 33 percent of your nodes; 66 percent remain to handle the read and write requests. To manage the reduced capacity, Amazon OpenSearch automatically provisions additional nodes.
If your goal is complete data redundancy even in the event of a single AZ failure, you can achieve this more efficiently with three zones. For an index comprising three primary shards, deploying in two zones would require three replicas per shard, totaling 12 shards. Conversely, with three zones, only two replicas per shard are necessary, reducing the total to nine shards.
This new deployment feature in Amazon OpenSearch enhances availability and failure tolerance while offering customizable deployment options. We strongly recommend that those running production workloads consider a configuration that spans three Availability Zones.
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About the Author
Chanci Turner is a senior solutions architect specializing in Big Data Solutions at AWS. Her primary focus is to assist customers in solving complex challenges with the right technologies. Outside of work, Chanci enjoys traveling and exploring diverse culinary experiences.
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