How to make the Apache Http Server Crash by "flood"?

[Neo Jia <cj...@cse.unl.edu>]

All,

I am working on my research about the server crash pattern. Now, I would
like to make the Apache Http Server Crash due to the heavy load of
requests. So I am using the handy tool - flood provided by Apache. But
it seems not always generate a stable incremental request load each
time. I mean that sometimes the load seems decreased, while there is no
information about the FAIL in the output file, also.

And, I am curious which parameter in the xml configuration file can help
me to increase the load?

I always getting such output when running the flood.   (XXX is the URL I
am testing.)
> ./flood ./examples/apache.xml > apache
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.
open request failed (http://XXX:80).
Error running farmer 'Joe': Cannot assign requested address.

The following is the apache.xml I am using.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE flood SYSTEM "flood.dtd">
<flood configversion="1">
  <urllist>
    <name>Test Hosts</name>
    <description>A bunch of hosts we want to hit</description>
    <url>http://XXX:80</url>
  </urllist>

  <profile>
    <name>Example Profile</name>
    <description>A Test Round Robin Configuration</description>

    <useurllist>Test Hosts</useurllist>

    <profiletype>round_robin</profiletype>
    <socket>keepalive</socket>
    <verify_resp>verify_200</verify_resp>
    <report>relative_times</report>

  </profile>
  <farmer>
    <name>Joe</name>

<time>10</time>                                                       //
The most interesting part is that when I increase the time, it seems
should generate much more load, but it not.
    <useprofile>Example Profile</useprofile>
  </farmer>
  <farm>  
    <name>Bingo</name>
    <usefarmer count="10">Joe</usefarmer>
  </farm> 
  <seed>1</seed>
</flood>



Thanks,
Neo
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would remember that if researchers were not ambitions
probably today we haven't the technology we are using!