From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Nov 7 15:24:24 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 118CD16A41A for ; Wed, 7 Nov 2007 15:24:24 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net (ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net [80.76.149.212]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 96AEA13C4B9 for ; Wed, 7 Nov 2007 15:24:23 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from erikt@midgard.homeip.net) Received: from c83-253-25-183.bredband.comhem.se ([83.253.25.183]:57489 helo=falcon.midgard.homeip.net) by ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net with esmtp (Exim 4.68) (envelope-from ) id 1IpmlK-0000sL-5j for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:24:15 +0100 Received: (qmail 95174 invoked from network); 7 Nov 2007 16:23:41 +0100 Received: from owl.midgard.homeip.net (10.1.5.7) by falcon.midgard.homeip.net with ESMTP; 7 Nov 2007 16:23:41 +0100 Received: (qmail 76771 invoked by uid 1001); 7 Nov 2007 16:23:41 +0100 Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 16:23:41 +0100 From: Erik Trulsson To: Mario Lobo Message-ID: <20071107152341.GA76731@owl.midgard.homeip.net> Mail-Followup-To: Mario Lobo , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <200711071139.55971.mario.lobo@ipad.com.br> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <200711071139.55971.mario.lobo@ipad.com.br> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.16 (2007-06-09) X-Originating-IP: 83.253.25.183 X-Scan-Result: No virus found in message 1IpmlK-0000sL-5j. X-Scan-Signature: ch-smtp01.sth.basefarm.net 1IpmlK-0000sL-5j 83a462ec7716c4a46fed781ed29f62ad Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Memory problem X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:24:24 -0000 On Wed, Nov 07, 2007 at 11:39:55AM -0300, Mario Lobo wrote: > Hello; > > I'm running a qmailrocks install + DNS server here. Hosting 14 domains and > their respective e-mail accounts. Everything seems to be working fine. > > The machine is: > > ------------------------------------------ > FreeBSD 6.2-STABLE #0: Mon Sep 10 14:15:16 BRT 2007 > CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6700 @ 2.66GHz (2669.94-MHz K8-class CPU) > Origin = "GenuineIntel" Id = 0x6f6 Stepping = 6 > Cores per package: 2 > real memory = 3488481280 (3326 MB) > avail memory = 3362598912 (3206 MB) > FreeBSD/SMP: Multiprocessor System Detected: 2 CPUs > cpu0 (BSP): APIC ID: 0 > cpu1 (AP): APIC ID: 1 > ------------------------------------------ > > When I turn the machine on/restart it, it starts off with around 2800 Mb free > memory. I know that, in its course of work, a few of those processes do not > properly return memory back to the system. The machine was last restarted > exactly a week ago (last wednesday). Now 'top' shows me this: > > ------------------------------------------ > last pid: 17204; load averages: 0.00, 0.04, 0.06 up 5+21:00:50 11:18:58 > 135 processes: 1 running, 132 sleeping, 2 zombie > CPU states: 0.6% user, 0.0% nice, 0.4% system, 0.2% interrupt, 98.9% idle > Mem: 379M Active, 1915M Inact, 256M Wired, 119M Cache, 214M Buf, 415M Free > Swap: 5120M Total, 5120M Free > ------------------------------------------ > > Here are my questions: > > Is this a "normal thing" to happen with memory in just one week? Yes, it is normal and nothing to worry about. > Does the '1915M Inact' means "zombie memory" (non-returned)? No. 'Inact[ive]', 'Cache' and 'Free' can all be considered free memory in slighly different states. There are differences between them that can be important in some circumstances, but if you are just trying to determine if you have a memory leak somewhere they can be lumped together, > Is there a manual garbage collector i could run? No. > What is your advise on what method I could use to precisely track down what > program(s) is(are) causing this? My advice is that you ignore it. It is nothing to worry about. -- Erik Trulsson ertr1013@student.uu.se