topic Memory utilization too high in Operating System - HP-UX

Memory utilization too high

Yan Voon Yee — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:19:44 GMT

Hi,

I"m quite new in HPUX, as you can see from the attachment, the memory utilization is too high (98-99%), can someone please guide me how to check what process/things is causing this?

Thanks!
Voon Yee

Re: Memory utilization too high

sangilak — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:42:08 GMT

Hello,

TOOLS

Best tools to use to analyse memory usage on HP-UX are Glance (license required, although you should be able to get a trial version from your account manager) and the kmeminfo tool (if you have a support contract with HP, open a support case to request the tool).

SUPPORT ARTICLE

There is a pretty good support article available with the title "HP-UX Operating Systems - How to Account for Memory Usage on an HP-UX System". If you have linked a valid support agreement to your ITRC account you should be able to search for it here on ITRC:

http://www11.itrc.hp.com/service/james/home.do

KNOWLEDGE ON DEMAND

There is also a video available on HP's Knowledge on Demand website that has quite a lot of information regarding performance/CPU/memory issues:

http://www.hp.com/go/kod

ITRC FORUMS

This thread below is also a good start:

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447626+1293622168658+28353475&threadId=1332985

sangilak

Re: Memory utilization too high

sangilak — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:43:40 GMT

Woops, forgot to mention the name of the Knowledge on Demand video:

HP-UX 11i v3 performance trouble-shooting: Tools and tips

sangilak

Re: Memory utilization too high

Dennis Handly — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 12:26:50 GMT

What does "swapinfo -tam" show?
As for processes, what does top and ps(1) show for process memory sizes?

Re: Memory utilization too high

butti — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:43:49 GMT

Hi,

it could be ok.
It seems that 20-25% is "B" = Buffer cache or File Cache.

With this command you could see the ram allocation !!

"UNIX95= ps -ef -o vsz,ruser,pid,comm,args|sort -rn |more"

Regards,
butti

Re: Memory utilization too high

Yan Voon Yee — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:38:55 GMT

# swapinfo -tam
Mb Mb Mb PCT START/ Mb
TYPE AVAIL USED FREE USED LIMIT RESERVE PRI NAME
dev 32768 1 32767 0% 0 - 1 /dev/vg00/lvol2
reserve - 12612 -12612
total 32768 12613 20155 38% - 0 -

Load averages: 0.56, 0.91, 0.88
459 processes: 386 sleeping, 73 running
Cpu states:
CPU LOAD USER NICE SYS IDLE BLOCK SWAIT INTR SSYS
0 0.61 14.7% 0.4% 6.9% 78.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1 0.51 14.9% 0.4% 8.5% 76.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
--- ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
avg 0.56 14.9% 0.4% 7.7% 77.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Memory: 8684852K (7208672K) real, 20584928K (18777024K) virtual, 273524K free Page# 1/33

CPU TTY PID USERNAME PRI NI SIZE RES STATE TIME %WCPU %CPU COMMAND
1 ? 15199 ilinterf 152 20 1425M 318M run 244:37 2.02 2.01 java
1 ? 11951 m1el6 152 20 833M 123M run 398:05 1.47 1.46 java
0 ? 4762 shubel5 152 20 833M 145M run 130:01 1.21 1.21 java
0 ? 23648 hkcslil6 152 20 292M 58532K run 0:00 24.03 1.17 java
1 ? 1951 root -16 20 32052K 8748K run 77:59 0.97 0.96 midaemon
1 ? 23653 smtgupil 152 20 292M 52236K run 0:00 16.02 0.78 java
1 ? 8213 el6 152 20 2855M 71328K run 36:05 0.77 0.76 java
1 ? 42 root 100 20 72K 64K sleep 51:00 0.68 0.67 smpsched
1 ? 43 root 100 20 72K 64K sleep 51:08 0.67 0.67 smpsched
0 ? 28470 hkcslil6 152 20 418M 135M run 19:11 0.64 0.64 java
1 ? 53 root 152 20 4104K 3648K run 58:18 0.62 0.62 vxfsd
0 ? 7084 smtgupil 152 20 856M 385M run 93:59 0.58 0.58 java
1 ? 28567 hkcslil6 152 20 1375M 318M run 21:19 0.53 0.53 java
1 pts/7 25415 root 154 10 37652K 5004K sleep 0:08 0.43 0.43 glance

Re: Memory utilization too high

Yan Voon Yee — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:40:55 GMT

# swapinfo -tam
Mb Mb Mb PCT START/ Mb
TYPE AVAIL USED FREE USED LIMIT RESERVE PRI NAME
dev 32768 1 32767 0% 0 - 1 /dev/vg00/lvol2
reserve - 12639 -12639
total 32768 12640 20128 39% - 0 -

Load averages: 0.56, 0.91, 0.88
459 processes: 386 sleeping, 73 running
Cpu states:
CPU LOAD USER NICE SYS IDLE BLOCK SWAIT INTR SSYS
0 0.61 14.7% 0.4% 6.9% 78.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1 0.51 14.9% 0.4% 8.5% 76.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
--- ---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
avg 0.56 14.9% 0.4% 7.7% 77.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Memory: 8684852K (7208672K) real, 20584928K (18777024K) virtual, 273524K free Page# 1/33

CPU TTY PID USERNAME PRI NI SIZE RES STATE TIME %WCPU %CPU COMMAND
1 ? 15199 ilinterf 152 20 1425M 318M run 244:37 2.02 2.01 java
1 ? 11951 m1el6 152 20 833M 123M run 398:05 1.47 1.46 java
0 ? 4762 shubel5 152 20 833M 145M run 130:01 1.21 1.21 java
0 ? 23648 hkcslil6 152 20 292M 58532K run 0:00 24.03 1.17 java
1 ? 1951 root -16 20 32052K 8748K run 77:59 0.97 0.96 midaemon
1 ? 23653 smtgupil 152 20 292M 52236K run 0:00 16.02 0.78 java
1 ? 8213 el6 152 20 2855M 71328K run 36:05 0.77 0.76 java
1 ? 42 root 100 20 72K 64K sleep 51:00 0.68 0.67 smpsched
1 ? 43 root 100 20 72K 64K sleep 51:08 0.67 0.67 smpsched
0 ? 28470 hkcslil6 152 20 418M 135M run 19:11 0.64 0.64 java
1 ? 53 root 152 20 4104K 3648K run 58:18 0.62 0.62 vxfsd
0 ? 7084 smtgupil 152 20 856M 385M run 93:59 0.58 0.58 java
1 ? 28567 hkcslil6 152 20 1375M 318M run 21:19 0.53 0.53 java
1 pts/7 25415 root 154 10 37652K 5004K sleep 0:08 0.43 0.43 glance

Re: Memory utilization too high

Dennis Handly — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:14:35 GMT

Your swapinfo -tam doesn't contain a memory line. Something is terribly wrong, you should set swapmem_on(5) to on. You appear to be on 11.23.

You may want to reduce your buffer cache value: dbc_max_pct(5)

>total 32768 12613 20155 38%

You aren't using that much of your swap. Was this taken during the same time glance said you were using 99% of memory?

Re: Memory utilization too high

Yan Voon Yee — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:30:14 GMT

Hi Dennis,
Your swapinfo -tam doesn't contain a memory line. Something is terribly wrong, you should set swapmem_on(5) to on. You appear to be on 11.23.
-> You mean the physical memory is not working? There is a hardware-RAM issue last week, HP engineer changed a new RAM. swapmem_on is to "TURN ON" this?

Re: Memory utilization too high

Dennis Handly — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:22:00 GMT

>You mean the physical memory is not working?

No, just somebody didn't configure the kernel parm swapmem_on to on.

Re: Memory utilization too high

Yan Voon Yee — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:17:20 GMT

Hi Dennis,

Sorry to ask:

No, just somebody didn't configure the kernel parm swapmem_on to on.
-> how to turn the swapmem on? command is "swapmem_on"? after turn it on, can share with me the command to turn it off also :)? THanks!

Re: Memory utilization too high

Dennis Handly — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:29:06 GMT

>how to turn the swapmem on?

This is a kernel parm:
kctune swapmem_on=1

kctune -v swapmem_on # says:
...
Can Change At Next Boot Only

You will need to reboot to change it

>can share with me the command to turn it off

The swapmem_on(5) man page says don't do that:
However, turning this feature off really does not gain the system anything.