[[breaking_50_allocation]]
=== Allocation changes

==== Primary shard allocation

Previously, primary shards were only assigned if a quorum of shard copies were
found (configurable using `index.recovery.initial_shards`, now deprecated). In
case where a primary had only a single replica, quorum was defined to be a
single shard. This meant that any shard copy of an index with replication
factor 1 could become primary, even it was a stale copy of the data on disk.
This is now fixed thanks to shard allocation IDs.

Allocation IDs assign unique identifiers to shard copies. This allows the
cluster to differentiate between multiple copies of the same data and track
which shards have been active so that, after a cluster restart, only shard
copies containing the most recent data can become primaries.

==== Indices Shard Stores command

By using allocation IDs instead of version numbers to identify shard copies
for primary shard allocation, the former versioning scheme has become
obsolete. This is reflected in the
<<indices-shards-stores,Indices Shard Stores API>>.

A new `allocation_id` field replaces the former `version` field in the result
of the Indices Shard Stores command. This field is available for all shard
copies that have been either created with the current version of Elasticsearch
or have been active in a cluster running a current version of Elasticsearch.
For legacy shard copies that have not been active in a current version of
Elasticsearch, a `legacy_version` field is available instead (equivalent to
the former `version` field).

==== Reroute commands

The reroute command `allocate` has been split into two distinct commands
`allocate_replica` and `allocate_empty_primary`. This was done as we
introduced a new `allocate_stale_primary` command. The new `allocate_replica`
command corresponds to the old `allocate` command  with `allow_primary` set to
false. The new `allocate_empty_primary` command corresponds to the old
`allocate` command with `allow_primary` set to true.

==== Custom Reroute Commands

Elasticsearch no longer supports plugins registering custom allocation
commands. It was unused and hopefully unneeded.

==== `index.shared_filesystem.recover_on_any_node` changes

The behavior of `index.shared_filesystem.recover_on_any_node: true` has been
changed. Previously, in the case where no shard copies could be found, an
arbitrary node was chosen by potentially ignoring allocation deciders. Now, we
take balancing into account but don't assign the shard if the allocation
deciders are not satisfied.

The behavior has also changed in the case where shard copies can be found.
Previously, a node not holding the shard copy was chosen if none of the nodes
holding shard copies were satisfying the allocation deciders. Now, the shard
will be assigned to a node having a shard copy, even if none of the nodes
holding a shard copy satisfy the allocation deciders.