Apache cause server high load

[Greg007]

Dear friends,
I experiance a problem with my server last monthes.
Apache eat all memory what casue huge load averages.
Sometimes I had to reboot server to get it back.
Today it happened again.
Here output of ps u -C httpd command:

USER       PID %CPU %MEM    VSZ   RSS TTY      STAT START   TIME COMMAND
root     20859  0.2  2.4 488792 50692 ?        Ss   Dec02   5:39 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     29649  0.0  1.4 407764 29556 ?        S    09:30   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     20405  0.0  1.8 408984 38376 ?        S    10:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     20454  0.0  1.7 410208 36528 ?        S    10:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     20564  0.0  1.0 411428 21228 ?        S    10:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     20611  0.0  0.3 412648  7768 ?        S    10:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     20719  0.0  0.1 413868  3200 ?        S    10:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     20780  0.0  0.1 415092  3332 ?        S    10:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      1482  0.0  0.1 416312  3432 ?        S    10:32   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      1658  0.0  0.1 417532  3504 ?        S    10:32   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      2029  0.0  0.1 418756  3600 ?        S    10:32   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      2614  0.0  0.1 419976  3696 ?        S    10:32   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      2697  0.0  0.1 421196  3788 ?        S    10:32   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      3337  0.0  0.1 422416  3844 ?        S    10:33   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      3403  0.0  0.1 423640  3928 ?        S    10:33   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     24684  0.0  0.1 424860  4024 ?        S    10:51   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     25166  0.0  1.6 426080 34380 ?        S    10:53   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     13830  0.0  1.9 427304 40188 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     13895  0.0  1.8 428524 39312 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     13958  0.0  1.3 429744 28316 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14043  0.0  1.9 430968 40704 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14124  0.0  1.2 432188 26176 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14219  0.0  0.2 433408  5340 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14271  0.0  0.2 434628  4936 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14352  0.0  0.2 435852  5032 ?        S    11:26   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14451  0.0  0.2 437072  5100 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14688  0.0  0.2 438292  5168 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14754  0.0  0.4 439516  9952 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14793  0.0  0.9 440736 19328 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14862  0.0  1.0 441956 21492 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     14908  0.0  1.9 443176 41256 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     15034  0.0  1.6 444400 35216 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     15120  0.0  2.0 445620 42228 ?        S    11:27   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     15353  0.0  0.2 446840  6004 ?        S    11:28   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     15470  0.0  0.2 448064  6040 ?        S    11:28   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     15769  0.0  0.2 449284  6140 ?        S    11:28   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     15879  0.0  0.9 450504 20704 ?        S    11:28   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     16043  0.0  1.6 451724 35008 ?        S    11:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     16123  0.0  2.0 452948 42940 ?        S    11:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     16225  0.0  2.0 454168 43068 ?        S    11:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     16277  0.0  2.0 455388 43072 ?        S    11:29   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     29500  0.0  2.0 456612 43492 ?        S    11:32   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     29937  0.0  1.3 457832 28872 ?        S    11:32   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     29999  0.0  1.9 459052 40092 ?        S    11:33   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     17027  0.0  2.0 460272 43188 ?        S    11:50   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      7393  0.0  2.1 461496 43972 ?        S    11:51   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      7851  0.0  2.1 462716 43928 ?        S    11:52   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      7926  0.0  2.1 463936 44236 ?        S    11:52   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      7991  0.0  2.1 465160 44332 ?        S    11:52   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      8092  0.0  2.1 466380 44512 ?        S    11:52   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      8135  0.0  2.1 467600 44496 ?        S    11:52   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      8284  0.0  2.1 468824 44780 ?        S    11:53   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      8725  0.0  2.1 470044 44896 ?        S    11:54   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      8819  0.0  2.1 471264 44992 ?        S    11:54   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9107  0.0  2.1 472484 45140 ?        S    11:54   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9151  0.0  2.1 473708 45280 ?        S    11:54   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9282  0.0  2.1 474928 45420 ?        S    11:54   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9315  0.0  2.1 476148 45504 ?        S    11:54   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9413  0.0  2.2 477372 45684 ?        S    11:54   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9693  0.0  2.2 478592 45784 ?        S    11:55   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9771  0.0  2.2 479812 45932 ?        S    11:55   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root      9830  0.0  2.2 481036 46076 ?        S    11:55   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     10159  0.0  2.2 482256 46208 ?        S    11:56   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     10222  0.0  2.2 483476 46332 ?        S    11:56   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     10273  0.0  1.9 472000 41480 ?        S    11:56   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
root     10274  0.0  2.2 484696 46444 ?        S    11:56   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   10275  0.0  2.3 489048 48004 ?        S    11:56   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   10336  0.7  2.3 488924 49656 ?        S    11:56   0:02 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   10856  0.5  2.5 491476 52360 ?        S    11:57   0:01 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   10974  0.1  2.4 490584 51720 ?        S    11:58   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   11184  0.7  2.4 489692 50768 ?        S    11:58   0:01 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   11190  0.1  2.3 488924 49592 ?        S    11:58   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   11546  0.1  2.3 488932 49556 ?        S    11:59   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   11621  0.0  2.3 488928 49596 ?        S    11:59   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   11629  0.4  2.3 488924 49568 ?        S    11:59   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   11887  0.0  2.3 488924 49580 ?        S    12:00   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   11888  0.0  2.3 488928 49568 ?        S    12:00   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody   32254  0.1  2.3 488928 49576 ?        S    12:01   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody     675  0.0  2.3 488792 48612 ?        S    12:01   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody     683  0.0  2.3 488792 48608 ?        S    12:01   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody    1586  0.0  2.3 488792 48608 ?        S    12:01   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody    1599  0.0  2.3 488792 48612 ?        S    12:01   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody    1601  0.0  2.3 488792 48612 ?        S    12:01   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody    1606  0.0  2.3 488792 48612 ?        S    12:01   0:00 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL

As you can see there are 84 apache processes.
Each of them takes ~400 Mb (!!!) of memory (VSZ column).
This apache processes seem not to be related to any hosted site, because it's owners "root" and "nobody".
All our sites use php5 in suphp environment, so I always can see usernames in ps and top.

What this processes is? May be this is a memory leackage issue?
I need your suggestions! Please help.
Thank you.

P.S. My CPanel is up to date. Version 11.25.0-C40255.

[Voltar]

What version of Apache?

Also, you should only have one 'httpd' process running as root. You might want to check into that.

[Greg007]

# apachectl -v
Server version: Apache/2.2.14 (Unix)
Server built:   Oct 28 2009 11:33:36
Cpanel::Easy::Apache v3.2.0 rev4801

Right after restart I have 3 instances of httpd running as root.