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Hi,

when backuping a host with a large number of files (~180,000 files,
about 45 GB), I recently started receiving messages like this:

2012-01-10 05:08:02 [host]: Can't fork at /usr/share/backuppc/lib/BackupPC/Lib.pm line 1353.

What could be the reason for that? I suspect a memory shortage, but I am
not sure. Would it make sense?

Unfortunately, I currently don't have a chance to monitor memory usage.

Thanks for your help,
Peter


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On Jan 11, 2012 12:14 AM, "Peter Thomassen" <mail < at > peter-thomassen.de ([email]mail < at > peter-thomassen.de[/email])> wrote:

Hi,

when backuping a host with a large number of files (~180,000 files,
about 45 GB), I recently started receiving messages like this:

[url=tel:2012-01-10%2005]2012-01-10 05[/url]:08:02 [host]: Can't fork at /usr/share/backuppc/lib/BackupPC/Lib.pm line 1353.

What could be the reason for that? I suspect a memory shortage, but I am
not sure. Would it make sense?

Unfortunately, I currently don't have a chance to monitor memory usage.

Thanks for your help,
Peter


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ridiculously easy VDI. With Citrix VDI-in-a-Box, you don't need a complex
infrastructure or vast IT resources to deliver seamless, secure access to
virtual desktops. With this all-in-one solution, easily deploy virtual
desktops for less than the cost of PCs and save 60% on VDI infrastructure
costs. Try it free! http://p.sf.net/sfu/Citrix-VDIinabox
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Ive seen that error in both Linux and OSX when you have too many processes running or open files.  Look for some info here on increasing the limit, http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-increase-the-maximum-number-of-open-files/.  

On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 12:10 AM, Peter Thomassen
<mail < at > peter-thomassen.de> wrote:
Hi,

when backuping a host with a large number of files (~180,000 files,
about 45 GB), I recently started receiving messages like this:

2012-01-10 05:08:02 [host]: Can't fork at /usr/share/backuppc/lib/BackupPC/Lib.pm line 1353.

What could be the reason for that? I suspect a memory shortage, but I am
not sure. Would it make sense?

Unfortunately, I currently don't have a chance to monitor memory usage.

Running out of several kinds of system resources or hitting per-user
or process limits can cause this error. Memory used to hold the
directory listing for rsync comparision is the mostly likely thing to
trigger it, and adding RAM is the best fix. But, you might be able to
work around it by reducing concurrent backup runs or adding swap.

--
Les Mikesell
lesmikesell < at > gmail.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ridiculously easy VDI. With Citrix VDI-in-a-Box, you don't need a complex
infrastructure or vast IT resources to deliver seamless, secure access to
virtual desktops. With this all-in-one solution, easily deploy virtual
desktops for less than the cost of PCs and save 60% on VDI infrastructure
costs. Try it free! http://p.sf.net/sfu/Citrix-VDIinabox
_______________________________________________
BackupPC-users mailing list
BackupPC-users < at > lists.sourceforge.net
List: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users
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Project: http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/

I would add this: 45 GB and 185,000 files is, in my opinion, far from big.
I have a number of servers backing up hosts that are 5 to 10 times as big,
and bigger. and that is with 1 GHz anemic processors and 512 MB RAM.

I think the answers that you're getting are correct: you're probably short
of some sort of resource. But this is far from a normal situation. Tiny
little backup servers are able to do much much bigger hosts. There's
something fundamentally weird about your setup.

Timothy J. Massey

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 11, 2012, at 11:00 AM, "Les Mikesell" <lesmikesell < at > gmail.com> wrote:

On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 12:10 AM, Peter Thomassen
<mail < at > peter-thomassen.de> wrote:
Hi,

when backuping a host with a large number of files (~180,000 files,
about 45 GB), I recently started receiving messages like this:

2012-01-10 05:08:02 [host]: Can't fork
at /usr/share/backuppc/lib/BackupPC/Lib.pm line 1353.

What could be the reason for that? I suspect a memory shortage, but I
am
not sure. Would it make sense?

Unfortunately, I currently don't have a chance to monitor memory usage.

Running out of several kinds of system resources or hitting per-user
or process limits can cause this error. Memory used to hold the
directory listing for rsync comparision is the mostly likely thing to
trigger it, and adding RAM is the best fix. But, you might be able to
work around it by reducing concurrent backup runs or adding swap.

--
Les Mikesell
lesmikesell < at > gmail.com


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ridiculously easy VDI. With Citrix VDI-in-a-Box, you don't need a complex
infrastructure or vast IT resources to deliver seamless, secure access to
virtual desktops. With this all-in-one solution, easily deploy virtual
desktops for less than the cost of PCs and save 60% on VDI infrastructure

costs. Try it free! http://p.sf.net/sfu/Citrix-VDIinabox
_______________________________________________
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BackupPC-users < at > lists.sourceforge.net
List: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users
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Project: http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/


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Hi,

On 01/11/2012 08:00 PM, Timothy J Massey wrote:
I would add this: 45 GB and 185,000 files is, in my opinion, far from big.
I have a number of servers backing up hosts that are 5 to 10 times as big,
and bigger. and that is with 1 GHz anemic processors and 512 MB RAM.

I think the answers that you're getting are correct: you're probably short
of some sort of resource. But this is far from a normal situation. Tiny
little backup servers are able to do much much bigger hosts. There's
something fundamentally weird about your setup.

Upgrading RAM from 128 to 512 MB solved that problem. However, not
another one occurs with the same host. I'll look into it and start
another thread, if necessary.

Cheers,
Peter


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Save $400 by Jan. 27
Register now!
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Peter Thomassen <mail < at > peter-thomassen.de> wrote on 01/16/2012 12:31:05 AM:

On 01/11/2012 08:00 PM, Timothy J Massey wrote:
I would add this: 45 GB and 185,000 files is, in my opinion, far from big.
I have a number of servers backing up hosts that are 5 to 10 times as big,
and bigger. and that is with 1 GHz anemic processors and 512 MB RAM.

I think the answers that you're getting are correct: you're probably short
of some sort of resource. But this is far from a normal situation. Tiny
little backup servers are able to do much much bigger hosts. There's
something fundamentally weird about your setup.

Upgrading RAM from 128 to 512 MB solved that problem. However, not
another one occurs with the same host. I'll look into it and start
another thread, if necessary.

Wow: you were trying to do backups with 128MB RAM? I thought *I* was mean with only using 512MB RAM!

In today's day and age, even 512MB is way too small. It will work (and I have a *bunch* of servers with only 512MB RAM), but more is certainly not going to hurt. And keep this in mind, too: fsck takes a *lot* of RAM, and if you don't have it, and if your filesystem needs it, you can't boot. I had that problem with one of my servers with a 1TB drive, and had to upgrade to 2GB to get it back up. Fortunately, I happen to be able to put my hands on an extra 2GB stick immediately. But if you're going to need it eventually, you might as well use it from the beginning...

Tim Massey
Out of the Box Solutions, Inc.
Creative IT Solutions Made Simple!
[url=Arial]http://www.OutOfTheBoxSolutions.com[/url]
[url=Arial]tmassey < at > obscorp.com[/url] 22108 Harper Ave.
St. Clair Shores, MI 48080
Office: (800)750-4OBS (4627)
Cell: (586)945-8796

Timothy J Massey wrote at about 17:13:44 -0500 on Monday, January 16, 2012:
Peter Thomassen <mail < at > peter-thomassen.de> wrote on 01/16/2012 12:31:05 AM:

On 01/11/2012 08:00 PM, Timothy J Massey wrote:
I would add this: 45 GB and 185,000 files is, in my opinion, far from
big.
I have a number of servers backing up hosts that are 5 to 10 times as
big,
and bigger. and that is with 1 GHz anemic processors and 512 MB RAM.

I think the answers that you're getting are correct: you're probably
short
of some sort of resource. But this is far from a normal situation.
Tiny
little backup servers are able to do much much bigger hosts. There's
something fundamentally weird about your setup.

Upgrading RAM from 128 to 512 MB solved that problem. However, not
another one occurs with the same host. I'll look into it and start
another thread, if necessary.

Wow: you were trying to do backups with 128MB RAM? I thought *I* was
mean with only using 512MB RAM!

Wow: you must live in luxury to have 128MB... I have done it with 64MB
and a 500MHz CPU on my NAS device... and it works just fine...


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