"Too many open files" exception when running from Docker

[fauria]

Elasticsearch version: 2.3.2 (Dockerfile elasticsearch:latest)

JVM version: openjdk version "1.8.0_72-internal"

OS version: Docker image: https://hub.docker.com/_/elasticsearch/

Description of the problem including expected versus actual behavior:
Expected behavior: An elasticsearch docker container successfully started.
Actual behavior: An elasticsearch docker container fails to start.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Run docker pull elasticsearch
2. Run docker run -i -t --rm -v /srv/elasticseach/data:/usr/share/elasticsearch/data -v /srv/elasticseach/config:/usr/share/elasticsearch/config elasticsearch
3. A java.nio.file.FileSystemException is raised with message "Too many open files".

Provide logs (if relevant):
http://pastebin.com/raw/kf0LDGxD

[jasontedor]

The problem is your max file descriptors are too low. There's even a warning in your logs:

[2016-04-27 19:08:27,576][WARN ][env ] [Box IV] max file descriptors [4096] for elasticsearch process likely too low, consider increasing to at least [65536]

[fauria]

Im running elasticsearch from the official docker image: https://hub.docker.com/_/elasticsearch/

On my host environment, both hard and soft limits are greater than 65536:

ulimit -Hn && ulimit -Sn

98304
98304

However inside the container:

docker run -i -t --rm elasticsearch bash
ulimit -Hn && ulimit -Sn

4096
1024

[jasontedor]

There is not an official Docker image that is affiliated with Elastic. To be clear, the "official" Docker image on Docker Hub is not affiliated with Elastic.

[fauria]

I would never have thought that... Already submitted to docker-library/elasticsearch#102 thank you!

[fauria]

Fixed!

If anyone has the same problem, try running the container with --ulimit nofile=98304:98304command line option, i.e.:

docker run -d --ulimit nofile=98304:98304 --name elasticsearch ...

[hcm007]

there is still same problem, when I use docker stack deploy -c in swarm @fauria

[ralyodio]

how do i do this with docker-compose?

[eugenweissbart]

Hi @chovy, I know it's probably too late, but the official docs on docker-compose files say it's pretty straightforward:

ulimits:
  nofile:
    soft: 98304
    hard: 98304

This should be done in your desired service's section.