From: rst@ai.mit.edu (Robert S. Thau)
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 1995 09:55:26 -0400
Message-Id: <199509141355.JAA04099@volterra.ai.mit.edu>
To: new-httpd@hyperreal.com
Subject: Re:  things to look for in runaway server?
Sender: owner-new-httpd@apache.org
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: new-httpd@apache.org

Hmmm... at the times when it runs away, the nameserver stops reliably
serving up hostnames.  If, at the same time, it is *also* taking longer
to produce no answer, then that would explain the runaway forking and
the delays seen by clients (each server that accepts a connection waits
several seconds for the name server --- since connections are coming in
at about the same rate as normal, that means dramatically more requests
are "in process" at any given time, corresponding to the increase in
service time, which in turn accounts for the excess forking).

This is, at best, an educated guess, but there is a way to test it (though
it's not free of potentially noxious side effects) --- if I'm right, then\
compiling the server with -DMINIMAL_DNS will eliminate the delays and fork
bombs...

rst