Briefly, this error occurs when Elasticsearch initiates the process of monitoring changes in the configuration files. It’s not an error, but an informational message indicating that the file watcher service has started. If you’re seeing this frequently or at unexpected times, it could indicate that your configuration files are being changed or accessed unexpectedly. To resolve this, ensure that changes to configuration files are controlled and expected. Also, check for any scripts or processes that might be triggering the file watcher service unintentionally.
This guide will help you check for common problems that cause the log ” starting file watcher … ” to appear. To understand the issues related to this log, read the explanation below about the following Elasticsearch concepts: .
Log Context
Log “starting file watcher …” classname is AbstractFileWatchingService.java.
We extracted the following from Elasticsearch source code for those seeking an in-depth context :
refreshExistingFileStateIfNeeded(clusterState);
return;
}
logger.info("starting file watcher ...");
/*
* We essentially watch for two things:
* - the creation of the operator directory (if it doesn't exist); symlink changes to the operator directory
* - any changes to files inside the operator directory if it exists; filtering for settings.json
