Out of control apache/php processes

[Eli L]

If you look at the attachment with the process list you will see a whole bunch of process that look like:

nobody   13125  0.0  0.3 125372 32216 ?        S    05:56   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
chetzu   13844  2.1  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    05:57   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>

All these processes are a problem to the server and I dont know how to prevent this from happening. Does anyone know how to prevent this?

Thank you!

 

[ManojB]

There are too many php defunct process, I would suggest you to update php version.

 

[ChrisRHS]

Hi there,

How is your PHP set up to run? Are you using su_PHP, dso or cgi?

 

[Eli L]

Hi there,

How is your PHP set up to run? Are you using su_PHP, dso or cgi?

Hey,

I'm using the latest PHP 5.2.x with suphp.

 

[elleryjh]

Same problem here, happens occasionally, and http requests stop being handled.

[snip]
username1  4737  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4730  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4732  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4731  0.0  0.1  15196  6364 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4734  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4735  0.0  0.1  15196  6364 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4736  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4745  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4746  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4747  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4750  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4748  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4751  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4762  0.0  0.1  15196  6364 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4763  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4764  0.0  0.1  15196  6364 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4767  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4768  0.0  0.1  15196  6356 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4769  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4788  0.0  0.1  15196  6364 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4791  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4789  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4792  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4790  0.0  0.1  15196  6364 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4795  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    4793  0.0  0.1  15196  6408 ?        S    11:10   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  4796  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:10   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5110  0.0  0.1  15196  6436 ?        S    11:11   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5627  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5183  0.0  0.1  15196  6428 ?        S    11:11   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5642  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5483  0.0  0.1  15196  6500 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5630  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5488  0.0  0.1  15192  6436 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5631  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5489  0.0  0.1  15196  6408 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5671  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5498  0.0  0.1  15192  6468 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5605  0.1  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5499  0.0  0.1  15192  6416 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5629  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5500  0.0  0.1  15196  6416 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5680  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:13   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5501  0.0  0.1  15192  6480 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5632  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5635  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5636  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5638  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5640  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5639  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5641  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5645  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5646  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5647  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5648  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5649  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5650  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5651  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5652  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5654  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5657  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5655  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5658  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5656  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5668  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5659  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5660  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5661  0.0  0.1  15196  6332 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5662  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5663  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5664  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5665  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5666  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5667  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5669  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5672  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5674  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
nobody    5673  0.0  0.1  15196  6372 ?        S    11:12   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  5675  0.0  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:12   0:00  |   \_ [php] <defunct>
root      5804  0.0  0.1   8036  4892 ?        S    11:13   0:00  \_ /usr/local/cpanel/bin/leechprotect
root      5812  0.0  0.1  14924  4804 ?        S    11:13   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
nobody    6518  0.0  0.1  15196  6368 ?        S    11:16   0:00  \_ /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL
username1  6519  0.2  0.0      0     0 ?        Z    11:16   0:00      \_ [php] <defunct>

PHP 5.3.2 (cli) (built: Mar 14 2010 20:58:31)
with suPHP


Any ideas?

 

[sharmaine001]

i have the same problem but i use php 5.2.13 and suphp

 

[darkelder]

Same issue on http://forums.cpanel.net/f5/php-defunct-cpu-process-145705.html