Very Computer

I've currently got 680 webs (not including ServerAliases) running off of
Apache 1.3.12 on an UltraSparc 360 with 256MB memory, 2048MB Swap, which is
running Solaris 2.7

Right now, I have to have "MaxClients" set to 150.  If I bring the number up
to 500 (or even 200), where I'd like to have it, The system goes out of
control slow, and I have a very hard time even gaining shell access.  When I
do get into the machine, almost everything I try (ps, df, top, etc) yeilds
an error similar to: "fork: not enough space".

as soon as I kill apache the issue resolves.  If I start apache, the problem
comes back after just a few minutes.

I understand that this is not specifically an Apache problem, and it just so
happens that Apache is what is taking most of the resources, but more of an
Operating System problem... but I'm still looking for help.

My best guess is that the system is not allocating the right amount of
memory to internal processes, but I dont even know how to tell.

using top, I see right now, that the CPU  95.2% idle,  0.4% user,  1.4%
kernel,  3.0% iowait,  0.0% swap
I see the memory: Memory: 256M real, 3808K free, 1036M swap in use, 1136M
swap free

server being the servername,  This is what I configured with:
./configure \
--prefix=/home/server/www \
--enable-module=cern_meta \
--enable-module=info \
--enable-module=status \
--enable-module=expires \
--enable-module=mime_magic \
--enable-suexec \
--suexec-caller=webguy \
--suexec-userdir=cgi-bin \
--suexec-docroot=/home/server \
--suexec-uidmin=100 \
--suexec-gidmin=10 \
--suexec-safepath="/usr/local/bin:/usr/ucb:/bin"

Here is an example of what each of the 680 webs has in the config file:
<VirtualHost 1.2.3.4>
ServerName www.domain.com
ServerAlias domain.com
DocumentRoot /home/server/www2/www.domain.com/web
User username
Group groupname
CustomLog logs/virtual/www.domain.com/www.domain.com.20020108.log combined
ScriptAlias /_vti_bin/_vti_adm/
/home/server/www2/www.domain.com/web/_vti_bin/_vti_adm/
ScriptAlias /_vti_bin/_vti_aut/
/home/server/www2/www.domain.com/web/_vti_bin/_vti_aut/
ScriptAlias /_vti_bin/ /home/server/www2/www.domain.com/web/_vti_bin/
ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /home/server/www2/www.domain.com/web/cgi-bin/
</VirtualHost>

- please carbon copy replies to jkister at netreach.net

Thanks!!

Jeremy

Your problem is quite straight forward: you don't have enough RAM
and/or swap space.  What server are you using?  Given the 360 MHz
clock speed, I'm guessing an Ultra 5 or Ultra 10.  If so, I hope
you're not using the IDE disks.

Fill up your RAM, and and some more swap (on a different device
if there's no roomon the current disk).  Life will be better!

--
Rich Teer

President,
Rite Online Inc.

Voice: +1 (250) 979-1638
URL: http://www.rite-online.net