mind21_98
09-18-2002, 12:49 AM
Hello,
I was just made aware of something very bad happening to Web hosts everywhere: overcrowding. This problem is caused by too much forking.
Forking is the process by which processes reproduce. Processes do not have a gender, so they can reproduce even when alone. This in itself can be a very dangerous thing, as only a single operating system call is required for the complex processes leading up to the creation of a brand new process. Depending on the processing power of your host, hundreds of new child processes could appear in a matter of moments. Since child processes mature very quickly, the problem is compounded.
There is a solution though: contraception. A simple and very effective form of contraception is "ulimit", which comes with most every computer running Unix. As soon as this is run, child process creation comes to a screeching halt. How can average people determine if hosts are using "ulimit"? If they advertise "unlimited" anywhere, that is a sure sign they do not use this most important form of contraception. Think of those poor processes as they attempt to cope with limited resources in such a polluted environment! In severe cases, the computer may need to be shut down. That's when "init", the mother process, goes out and murders each and every single one of her children.
For all of you people out there currently hosting your sites somewhere: don't practice unsafe hosting. Together we can prevent init from cannibalizing her children.
(author's note: I was really bored and I need to get out more. :stickout)
I was just made aware of something very bad happening to Web hosts everywhere: overcrowding. This problem is caused by too much forking.
Forking is the process by which processes reproduce. Processes do not have a gender, so they can reproduce even when alone. This in itself can be a very dangerous thing, as only a single operating system call is required for the complex processes leading up to the creation of a brand new process. Depending on the processing power of your host, hundreds of new child processes could appear in a matter of moments. Since child processes mature very quickly, the problem is compounded.
There is a solution though: contraception. A simple and very effective form of contraception is "ulimit", which comes with most every computer running Unix. As soon as this is run, child process creation comes to a screeching halt. How can average people determine if hosts are using "ulimit"? If they advertise "unlimited" anywhere, that is a sure sign they do not use this most important form of contraception. Think of those poor processes as they attempt to cope with limited resources in such a polluted environment! In severe cases, the computer may need to be shut down. That's when "init", the mother process, goes out and murders each and every single one of her children.
For all of you people out there currently hosting your sites somewhere: don't practice unsafe hosting. Together we can prevent init from cannibalizing her children.
(author's note: I was really bored and I need to get out more. :stickout)