[linux-help] Linux Virtual memory

["David C. Hoos, Sr." <david.c.hoos.sr@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

I have a problem with an application which may be
causing in inordinate amount of buffer memory to be
allocated.

The scenario is this:

I am running Linux Mandrake 7.1 with a 2.2.16 kernel
pared down to eliminate excess baggage, and using
a later version of the scsi generic device driver designed
for 2.2 kernels -- version 3.0.13 from
http://www.torque.net/sg/
When the machine is first booted up, top or free
shows about 4Mb of buffers.

After the application has run for about an hour, the
amount of memory used by buffers is 135 Mb.

The application writes many files in the course of
its execution.  Incoming and outgoing messages are
written to binary files, one per message, and the files
are closed immediately upon return from the write.

The other strange thing about this scenario, is that
when the machine runs out of memory, only 512 Kb
of swap has been used, despite the fact that there is
768 Mb. of swap available.

It would appear that the large amount of space
allocated to buffers is not needed, and that some tuning
parameter could cause these buffers to be freed, thus
preventing the machine from running out of space.

The application's memory usage grows very little,
growing from about 35 Mb. at startup, to about 38 Mb.
an hour later. The only other large user of memory is
X, which is using about 42 Mb.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I need to do to
remedy this situation?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.


 


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