Normal # of Processes?

[xxkylexx]

Hi there,
Hope this isn't a dumb question, but on average, what's the normal amount of processes you should see on a cPanel box (CentOS 3.x)?

Thanks,
Kyle

[elliotcooper]

I just took a look on one of (fairly) new install of cpanel and there were 54 processes running. However, the number of processes will depend on how the server is confiogured/what is installed and how busy it is.

[chirpy]

It does depend on how heavily the server is used, and the resources available to process its needs. I'd generally say that less than 150 is normal. More that 200 might be of concern.

[chilihost]

it also depends on how you setup your server config file (httpd.conf)

[xxkylexx]

Thanks guys.

Latly, I have been having some issues with load spikes and have noticed that proccesses are exceeding 200 during this time. The average I have when running smoothly is around 170-180.

Kyle

[xxkylexx]

Having processes back up to around 260+ right now. Here is a list:

Taken at around 280:

root@server1 [~]# ps -e
PID TTY TIME CMD
1 ? 00:00:14 init
2 ? 00:00:00 migration/0
3 ? 00:00:00 migration/1
4 ? 00:00:00 keventd
5 ? 00:00:00 ksoftirqd/0
6 ? 00:00:00 ksoftirqd/1
9 ? 00:00:06 bdflush
7 ? 00:04:07 kswapd
8 ? 00:10:51 kscand
10 ? 00:01:05 kupdated
11 ? 00:00:00 mdrecoveryd
18 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_0
19 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_1
20 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_2
21 ? 00:00:00 scsi_eh_3
24 ? 00:05:40 kjournald
102 ? 00:00:00 khubd
2291 ? 00:00:47 kjournald
2292 ? 00:00:00 kjournald
2293 ? 00:00:28 kjournald
2729 ? 00:00:40 syslogd
2733 ? 00:00:00 klogd
2743 ? 00:00:47 irqbalance
2751 ? 00:00:00 courierlogger
2752 ? 00:00:00 authdaemond
2762 ? 00:00:01 authdaemond
2763 ? 00:00:01 authdaemond
2764 ? 00:00:01 authdaemond
2765 ? 00:00:01 authdaemond
2766 ? 00:00:01 authdaemond
2767 ? 00:00:01 mdadm
4234 ? 00:01:53 named
4248 ? 00:00:00 sshd
4261 ? 00:00:01 xinetd
4276 ? 00:00:00 mysqld_safe
4311 ? 02:33:12 mysqld
4335 ? 00:00:36 chkservd
4346 ? 00:00:00 courierlogger
4347 ? 00:00:01 couriertcpd
4355 ? 00:00:00 courierlogger
4356 ? 00:00:00 couriertcpd
4364 ? 00:00:06 courierlogger
4365 ? 00:00:08 couriertcpd
4371 ? 00:00:00 courierlogger
4372 ? 00:00:00 couriertcpd
4437 ? 00:00:13 exim
4441 ? 00:00:00 exim
4447 ? 00:01:49 antirelayd
4476 ? 00:02:31 spamd
4506 ? 00:00:08 crond
4596 ? 00:00:50 eximstats
4646 ? 00:00:00 entropychat
4651 ? 00:00:42 cpbandwd
4652 ? 00:05:49 cpanellogd
4685 ? 00:00:00 melange
4790 ? 00:00:00 stunnel-4.15loc
4931 ? 00:00:00 mailmanctl
4944 tty1 00:00:00 mingetty
4945 tty2 00:00:00 mingetty
4946 tty3 00:00:00 mingetty
4947 tty4 00:00:00 mingetty
4948 tty5 00:00:00 mingetty
4949 tty6 00:00:00 mingetty
4950 ? 00:02:34 python2.4
4951 ? 00:02:46 python2.4
4952 ? 00:02:40 python2.4
4953 ? 00:02:37 python2.4
4954 ? 00:02:35 python2.4
4955 ? 00:02:46 python2.4
4956 ? 00:02:40 python2.4
4957 ? 00:00:00 python2.4
32419 ? 00:00:01 spamd
24335 ? 00:00:40 httpd
18194 ? 00:00:00 pure-ftpd
18199 ? 00:00:00 pure-authd
20237 ? 00:00:16 spamd
27010 ? 00:00:00 cpsrvd
20740 ? 00:00:00 sshd
20746 pts/0 00:00:00 bash
22169 ? 00:00:00 pure-ftpd
22178 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22209 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22354 ? 00:00:00 authProg <defunct>
22399 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22456 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22537 ? 00:00:00 pure-ftpd
22538 ? 00:00:00 pure-ftpd
22539 ? 00:00:00 pure-ftpd
22540 ? 00:00:00 pure-ftpd
22541 ? 00:00:00 pure-ftpd
22560 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22562 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22688 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22727 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22744 ? 00:00:00 authProg
22969 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22978 ? 00:00:00 httpd
22979 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23070 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23075 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23076 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23079 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23080 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23086 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23200 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23201 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23203 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23212 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23216 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23305 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23323 ? 00:00:00 authProg
23394 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23395 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23399 ? 00:00:00 authProg <defunct>
23402 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23403 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23404 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23413 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23416 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23417 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23436 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23438 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23439 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23498 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23501 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23502 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23504 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23505 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23506 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23507 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23512 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23515 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23597 ? 00:00:00 authProg
23602 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23607 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23608 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23611 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23612 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23613 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23614 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23619 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23641 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23642 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23653 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23711 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23712 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23713 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23714 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23720 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23721 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23722 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23723 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23725 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23726 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23727 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23728 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23732 ? 00:00:00 httpd
23763 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24475 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24500 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24539 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24549 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24699 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24711 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24716 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24724 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24727 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24728 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24729 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24730 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24731 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24732 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24736 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24737 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24738 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24739 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24740 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24741 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24742 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24743 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24745 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24746 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24747 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24748 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24749 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24750 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24751 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24752 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24754 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24755 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24756 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24757 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24758 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24759 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24796 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24800 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24801 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24805 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24806 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24807 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24808 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24816 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24817 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24818 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24819 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24820 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24821 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24827 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24829 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24831 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24833 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24834 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24838 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24840 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24841 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24842 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24843 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24844 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24847 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24848 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24849 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24872 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24926 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24966 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24997 ? 00:00:00 httpd
24998 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25002 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25006 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25010 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25011 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25015 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25019 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25025 ? 00:00:00 httpd
25027 ? 00:00:00 php
25028 pts/0 00:00:00 ps

Anything look abnormal?


Thanks,
Kyle

[chirpy]

Yes, you've probably got something looping in apache, depending on the number of sites/hits. I'd suggest editing httpd.conf and setting:

KeepAliveTimeout 3
MaxRequestsPerChild 50

Then restart httpd. Carefully watch your load afterwards.

[xxkylexx]

I've knocked down KeepAlive to "KeepAliveTimeout 3" from 15, MaxRequestsPerChild was already at 50. The processes seem to have dropped down a bit, but that may have been from me restarting httpd?

Is keeping KeepAliveTimeout to 3 something I need to leave permenatly?


Thanks,
Kyle

[chirpy]

Unless you notice any problems, I'd leave the settings like that.

[xxkylexx]

Thanks Chirpy!

[chilihost]

I have servers that normally push about 450-550 processes, they are just busy servers with loads of visitors. Your numbers look like an average server to me, nothing to worry about unless the load averages start skyrocketing.