From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Feb 27 15:39:19 2008 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 ADD7D1065678 for ; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:39:19 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from zszalbot@gmail.com) Received: from ug-out-1314.google.com (ug-out-1314.google.com [66.249.92.175]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4C7DB8FC18 for ; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:39:13 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from zszalbot@gmail.com) Received: by ug-out-1314.google.com with SMTP id y2so405382uge.37 for ; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:39:12 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; bh=scJQQDVOJWZtklBVlQnPKVx5rhrs5ySBz9LNPPmzqcU=; b=DCWnOhDfx9F7YaiR0oKR9KQ/X7tPUr7BWyU+r++5BG8vUJEdHjRBf+OuyWnImOSF2AjJwDb5MwJKn6Ofx8G42V7zRaYreq/TKMRgW4YNNYwXikngzGzpB/YPQ5p9a5w9OoG3yAAO0DMpMi1/898DIFWA9uWdQ+uL45gR3DR65sI= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; b=ZTPLMf6O8JryeCHjRBJ37azjTalAUzeNXJVL4XQT/wb3bB6Au/kBeAvA7/u2uN0h04u7hUmTgnRuuRriR7595yNaxWDIRwzEyMfDfmPSWOnIycPUHGjMBTle90QQwfckLXqG+TVOQXCUOHM+cxiy5U8YzVvGghG4+wRT0b6N/us= Received: by 10.78.200.3 with SMTP id x3mr6372606huf.69.1204126752160; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:39:12 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.78.130.5 with HTTP; Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:39:12 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <94136a2c0802270739p33846331l47a2c63f310e1c37@mail.gmail.com> Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:39:12 +0100 From: "Zbigniew Szalbot" To: "Mark Tinguely" In-Reply-To: <200802271347.m1RDl5mh036977@casselton.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline References: <94136a2c0802270259i313331dcw45f8c26801f01636@mail.gmail.com> <200802271347.m1RDl5mh036977@casselton.net> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: sudden peak in load average 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, 27 Feb 2008 15:39:19 -0000 Hello, 2008/2/27, Mark Tinguely : > > > >From the MRTG data I can see that suddenly on a currently not very > > busy machine the load averege went over 15 or more. This happened > > around 10 in the morning. Not many entries in httpd access log, smtp > > server was not too much loaded (at that time it generally produces a > > load average of about 1). > > > By any chance, do you run SpamAssassin? I have seen load average bursts with > SA. It seems to me that spam sites are bursting spam to attempt to bring > down the anti-spam filters. > > As mentioned by others a "ps" (or I prefer "pstree") list will help > solve the issue. Thanks. I do have SA but I studied the logs carefully and no outside connections, except for one with a vary small message desitined for mailman subscription arrived at around that time. -- Zbigniew Szalbot