# Nginx eating all RAM, log files? **URL:** \ **Category:** NGINX\ **Created:** [April 22, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438 "2013-04-22T20:31:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jchengj)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438/1 "2013-04-22T20:31:14Z")
I have two nginx instances (nginx/1.0.15) on a 4GB RAM machine. Each instance runs fewer than 25 requests as reported with stub\_status on; The problem is that once nginx is started from scratch it starts eating (or reserving?) RAM progressively as reported by free -m, up to the point where it leaves only 2-5mb left and then it doesnt go past that. In about 7 days it has eating everything. Nginx doesnt crash, nor does it touch swap but I definately feel it compromises system resources to the point iam concerned as in a production spike its wise to think the server has no room. This is the exact same issue on 4 other nginx machines I have. In order to start over again I must kill -QUIT the PIDs , delete the log file (which is smaller then 800mb) and then all goes back to the cycle. Please indicate me what pieces of information I can supply to debug this issue. Thanks Joseph ---
**Author:** ![jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jchengj)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438/2 "2013-04-22T20:46:26Z")
Before anything I suggest you upgrade you nginx install… you’re running nginx/1.0.15, the last satble version is 1.2.8! It might be some bug that was fixing in the mean time! ---
**Author:** ![jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jchengj)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438/3 "2013-04-22T21:33:10Z")
Hi Are you sure it’s not the linux file/buffer cache that’s using all your ram? (does ps/top show nginx or the worker processes using it directly?) Linux and most/all other unix variants will fill up unused ram with cached versions of the most recently used files so they don’t have to be read from disk each time… it’s completely normal and expected behaviour 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jchengj)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438/4 "2013-04-22T22:04:43Z")
Hello!, This is the output of ps, iam having a hard time interpreting the memory usage perhaps you can help me differ? USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TTY STAT START TIME COMMAND root 18951 0.0 0.1 195892 6340 ? Ss Apr16 0:00 nginx: master process /usr/sbin/nginx -c /etc/nginx/modified/nginx-consolidated-5.conf root 18977 0.0 0.1 197600 5188 ? Ss Apr16 0:00 nginx: master process /usr/sbin/nginx -c /etc/nginx/modified/nginx-consolidated-8.conf nginx 18978 0.0 0.2 200096 9392 ? S Apr16 5:02 nginx: worker process nginx 18979 0.0 0.1 197604 5768 ? S Apr16 0:03 nginx: cache manager process nginx 23921 0.0 0.2 199892 9148 ? S Apr21 1:28 nginx: worker process nginx 23922 0.0 0.1 195896 4844 ? S Apr21 0:00 nginx: cache manager process root 24894 0.0 0.0 103244 832 pts/0 S+ 14:00 0:00 grep nginx [root]# free -m total used free shared buffers cached Mem: 3631 1760 1871 0 307 1212 -/+ buffers/cache: 240 3391 Swap: 2047 0 2047 I have a cache explicitly set at the nginx.conf . My site is not that big, the cache I have doesnt get pass 15mb. Please let me know if this is suitable or if I should report differently. Thanks Joseph Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:32:31 +0100 From: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid To: removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid Subject: Re: nginx eating all RAM, log files? ``` Hi Are you sure it's not the linux file/buffer cache that's using all your ram? (does ps/top show nginx or the worker processes using it directly?) Linux and most/all other unix variants will fill up unused ram with cached versions of the most recently used files so they don't have to be read from disk each time... it's completely normal and expected behaviour :) On 22/04/13 19:30, Joseph C. wrote: I have two nginx instances (nginx/1.0.15) on a 4GB RAM machine. Each instance runs fewer than 25 requests as reported with stub_status on; The problem is that once nginx is started from scratch it starts eating (or reserving?) RAM progressively as reported by free -m, up to the point where it leaves only 2-5mb left and then it doesnt go past that. In about 7 days it has eating everything. Nginx doesnt crash, nor does it touch swap but I definately feel it compromises system resources to the point iam concerned as in a production spike its wise to think the server has no room. This is the exact same issue on 4 other nginx machines I have. In order to start over again I must kill -QUIT the PIDs , delete the log file (which is smaller then 800mb) and then all goes back to the cycle. Please indicate me what pieces of information I can supply to debug this issue. Thanks Joseph _______________________________________________ ``` nginx mailing list removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://mailman.nginx.org/mailman/listinfo/nginx](http://mailman.nginx.org/mailman/listinfo/nginx) ---
**Author:** ![jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jchengj)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438/5 "2013-04-22T22:08:13Z")
Maxim, Thank you…!! Regards, Josephan/listinfo/nginx ---
**Author:** ![jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jchengj)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438/6 "2013-04-22T22:29:51Z")
man ps | grep RSS man ps | grep VSZ when using a tool like top: real\_free = free + cached you might want to try htop for a better continuous display your ram is fine 🙂 regards, mex Posted at Nginx Forum: > **[Re: RE: nginx eating all RAM, log files?](https://forum.nginx.org/read.php?2,238547,238556#msg-238556)** > > I have two nginx instances (nginx/1.0.15) on a 4GB RAM machine. Each instance runs fewer than 25 requests as reported with stub\_status on; The problem is that once nginx is started from scratch it starts eating (or reserving?) RAM progressively as... ---
**Author:** ![jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/d78d45/32.png) [@jchengj](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jchengj)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/nginx-eating-all-ram-log-files/228438/7 "2013-04-22T21:33:45Z")
Hello! On Mon, Apr 22, 2013 at 06:30:41PM +0000, Joseph C. wrote: > a production spike its wise to think the server has no room. > > This is the exact same issue on 4 other nginx machines I have. > > In order to start over again I must kill -QUIT the PIDs , delete > the log file (which is smaller then 800mb) and then all goes > back to the cycle. > > Please indicate me what pieces of information I can supply to > debug this issue. As you are referring to “free -m” output, most likely this link will help: [http://www.linuxatemyram.com/](http://www.linuxatemyram.com/) In short: don’t panic, you RAM is fine. – Maxim D. [http://nginx.org/en/donation.html](http://nginx.org/en/donation.html)