Configure Node Properties

When you install Redpanda, a redpanda.yaml file is installed on each node in /etc/redpanda. This file contains node configuration properties. A node property is one that can be set differently from node to node, such as data_directory or node_id (when specified).

See Node Configuration Properties for a list of node properties, their descriptions, and their default values.

The default redpanda.yaml file groups node properties into categories:

pandaproxy - properties for the Redpanda HTTP Proxy
redpanda - runtime configuration properties, such as the cluster member IP addresses and the data directory
rpk - properties that determine how rpk starts Redpanda
schema registry - properties related to storage, retrieval, and compatibility of the schemas

To view a sample template that includes all node properties as they appear in the default redpanda.yaml file, see Node Configuration Template. This template is annotated with descriptions of each property.

Set node configuration properties

The redpanda.yaml file rarely needs to be edited after the system is installed, but you can choose to change node configuration property values.

The one node configuration property you cannot change is the unique node identifier: node_id. After a node joins the cluster, do not change the node_id. You can altogether omit node_id from redpanda.yaml and have Redpanda assign it automatically. For more information, see Configure node IDs.

To change a node property setting:

Open a terminal window and navigate to the node where you want to change a property setting.
Go to the /etc/redpanda directory.
Open the redpanda.yaml file.
Change values for properties as needed.
Save the file and close the editor.
Restart the node to apply the changes.

When Redpanda starts up and reads the redpanda.yaml file, it checks that each property setting has a valid value. If the file contains an invalid property setting, Redpanda logs an error and refuses to start.