Re: general/2645: CGI Cause the Server to die, a lot of defunct and zombie processes (fwd)

[Marc Slemko <ma...@znep.com>]

The following reply was made to PR general/2645; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Marc Slemko <ma...@znep.com>
To: apbugs@apache.org
Cc:  Subject: Re: general/2645: CGI Cause the Server to die, a lot of  defunct
 and zombie processes (fwd)
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 12:06:24 -0700 (PDT)

 ---------- Forwarded message ----------
 Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 14:31:48 -0400
 From: Howard Yen <ho...@virtualstockexchange.com>
 To: Marc Slemko <ma...@znep.com>
 Subject: Re: general/2645: CGI Cause the Server to die, a lot of  defunct and
     zombie processes
 
 >> >Description:
 >> Our web server is setup with Linux running Apache 1.2.6. However everytime
 >> a CGI executed its leave as a zombie process (however it is killed
 automatically)
 >> a short while later. Also when the load on the web server starts to get
 high
 >
 >What do you mean by this?  Are you sure it is for _every_ CGI?  What kills
 >it automatically, and how much is "a short while" later?
 
 Basically whenever a CGI executes (over the web) the CGI doesn't end
 automaticlly
 it turns into an zombie process then ends. This also happens with perl
 scripts as
 well.  This phenomemon is very similar to the one at
 
 http://bugs.apache.org/index/full/541
 
 
 >> (between 11:00 AM and 6:00PM Mon - Fri) the server hangs and I can see a
 large
 >
 >What do you mean by "high load"?  How many simultaneous connections?  How
 >many requests per second?
 
 I can't begin to tell you. All I know is that the problem happens during
 the day
 which is when we get more hits. The problem disappeared at night and on
 weekends
 which is when our hits does down. If you can tell me how I can find this
 out please
 let me know.
 
 >
 >> amount of defunct process by using ps -auxww. I know that the server
 >> has not yet reach its load capacity (its an Pen II 300). And every once
 in a while
 >> a CGI will use 99.1 % of the CPU. I have check the CGIs and its not the
 CGI's
 >> problem because I have use the same CGI's under other setups (i.e. BSD
 with Apache
 >> and Solaris with Netscape) and they were all fine.
 
 >
 >Erm... your reasoning about how it can't be the CGI's problem doesn't
 >hold.  If the CGI is taking up most of the CPU, then that is probably a
 >problem in the CGI.  Just because you don't see it on other platforms
 >because the circumstances aren't right or there is some other difference
 >doesn't mean it can't be there.
 
 I should rephrase this. the web server dies every few minutes minutes. I
 have to restart the
 httpd daemon. Sometime using ps -auxww i see process /usr/sbin/httpd 
 using 99.1% of the CPU. Some time its a CGI sometimes it just dies. Many
 times there is a huge list of defunct process.
 
 >
 >Are you running any virtual hosts?
 
 yup
 
 >
 >Please try upgrading to the current version of Apache.
 > 
 -----------------------
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 (212)785-0888
 
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