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Server System Utilisation 99.1%

Kelvin

Server System Utilisation 99.1%
« on: December 30, 2001, 11:58:41 AM »
I have a strange problem which started happening about 2 days ago. Every so often, my SME 5.0 server would slow to a  crawl. Shared internet access through the server crawls (not usable - everything, every service, mail, browsing, news, etc all times out).

Trying to log in to the server via a SSH session as well as the local terminal crawls as well.

When I finally get in, running top shows under CPU states, system is using 99.1%, 0.7% idle. Running tailf messages, I get anumber of these messages appearing every half second to a second :-

Dec 30 18:09:50 hercules last message repeated 194 times
Dec 30 18:10:51 hercules last message repeated 193 times
Dec 30 18:11:52 hercules last message repeated 204 times
Dec 30 18:12:07 hercules last message repeated 51 times
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36823).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36822).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36821).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36820).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36819).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36818).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36817).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36816).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36815).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36814).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36813).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36812).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36811).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36810).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36809).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36808).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36807).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36806).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36805).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36804).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36803).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36802).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36801).
Dec 30 18:12:08 hercules kernel: IP_MASQ:ip_masq_new(proto=ICMP): could not get free masq entry (free=36800).
.
.
.

and it goes on and on.

I can painfully type in reboot at the terminal and the server will slowly shutdown then reboot. When finally rebooted, everything returns to normal. All network / internet access back to normal. When I first encountered it about 2 days back, I just shrugged it off. But when it happened again twice more, I began to worry. I cannot put my finger on what might be triggering this.

Any ideas anyone ?

Kelvin