From owner-freebsd-stable Sat Jan 8 11: 8:29 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mls.gtonet.net (mls.gtonet.net [216.112.90.195]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 32AED14D81 for ; Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:08:25 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from freebsd@gtonet.net) Received: from pld (holeyman@pld.gtonet.net [216.112.90.200]) by mls.gtonet.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id LAA69382; Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:08:24 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from freebsd@gtonet.net) From: "FreeBSD" To: "David Bushong" , Subject: RE: load spike strangeness Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2000 11:08:24 -0800 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) In-Reply-To: <20000108104902.A47984@Bushong.NET> Importance: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG > [mailto:owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG]On Behalf Of David Bushong > Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2000 10:49 AM > To: freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG > Subject: load spike strangeness > > > I have noticed a strange occurrence infrequently over the last year > or so running -STABLE. I will describe it as best I can, and what > I've tried to figure it out. I don't expect anyone here to know > immediately why it's happening, but maybe someone can give me tips > on things to try to figure it out. > > System: > PII/266 overclocked to 300 > 3 DIMMs: 2 x 32 + 1 x 64 > 2 SCSI UW drives: 1 9GB 7200 rpm, 1 4GB 5400 rpm, both IBM > Adaptec 2940UW > Seagate 4GB travan tape drive > IDE Creative 5x DVD w/ mpeg card > Creative TNT video card Overclocking is *NEVER* recommended > > Software: > OS: Many different versions of FreeBSD X.Y-STABLE > daemons: apache 1.3.6, named, ypbind, ypserv, nfsd, xntpd > > Symptom: > I'm running X, a few xterms, a few ssh's, fvwm2. Have an xload in > the corner. Typing along happily, I notice the load running flat > at one. Never heard any exciting disk activity. If left > unattended (or even if not) goes away by itself in maybe 5 minutes. > Must time more precisely next time. > > Things I tried: > Run uptime. Get a load of ~ 1. Check top. Says CPU is 99.5% > idle. Run ps, wait 10 seconds, run ps, and compare PIDs. They > aren't flying by (difference in 'ps' PID is max 1 or 2). I start > up an mp3 encode on a known track and time it. The load reads 2 > while I'm doing this. It takes no longer than when my machine is > completely unloaded. > > Now I know everyone says load is a poor indicator of this and doesn't > reflect that, but anyone have: > > a) any idea what could cause a phantom, meaningless spike in the load? > b) any idea what other things I could try to figure out why this is > happening? (i'll try timing it next time, and keeping track of when > it happens to see if there's a pattern) > > Important? No. Baffling? Yes. > > --David Bushong FreeBSD freebsd@gtonet.net "LinSUX is only free if your time is worthless" To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the message