file:table full

[Juuso Siniketo]

Hi,

I have a D250 server running under HP-UX 11.00 + Dec2000 patch bundle. Recently I?ve had this problem when multiple users (=6) tries to logon to it via Entria terminals it coredumps and syslog says 'file: table full'.

What's causing this? I figured that it's a kernel parameter but which one? nfile? maxusers?

Thanks in advance!

[Alex Glennie]

This message indicates that your system has reached the defined limit
of a kernel parameter.

To determine which parameter, use the convention of placing the letter
"n" in front of the name in the table full message. For example, the
following message on your console:

file: table is full

indicates that the "nfile" kernel parameter table size limit has been
reached.

You can correct a kernel parameter limit situation in one of two ways:

- Decrease the use of the table. For instance, in the case of nfile,
you could have users and applications close files that they do not
need to have open. This is typically used as a short-term solution
for the problem.

- Increase the kernel parameter that defines the limit on the table.
You can increase the parameter using sam(1M). A system reboot
is required to modify kernel parameters. By default, the
kernel parameter "maxusers" is used in the calculation of several
other parameters, and may be a better parameter to increase
when system use is expanding. You would only want to modify maxusers,
though, if doing so increases the parameter in question appropria

[Clemens van Everdingen]

If you have maxusers included in the formula
for nfile, you can better increase maxusers.

Number of open files for all processes running on the system. Though each entry is relatively small, there is some kernel overhead in
managing this table. Additionally, each time a file is opened, it will consume an entry in nfile even if the file is already opened by another process. When nfile entries are exhausted, a console and/or syslog
error message will appear specifically indicating "File table full".

[Dan Hetzel]

Hi,

The best way to do this is to increase the 'maxusers' kernel parameter.
This will increase 'nfile' as well as other tunable parameters in a coherent way.

Best regards,

Dan

[Rita C Workman]

Well generally I would simply say to increase maxusers and then nfile and nproc should automatically increase (if your kernel is still set with the calculation defaults on these parms..) to cover for it. BUT if you only have six (6) users logged in and your getting this problem, I wonder. The default (and I'm guessing you probably haven't changed the kernel defaults..) is generally 32.
If your maxusers is already at 32..then 6 users won't hit maxusers (file full) error. But check it first. Do you have more than 6 users loggin in....then increase maxusers.
If this assumption (you only have 6 users) is right, than just take a look at increasing nfile and/or nproc.

/rcw