Results 1 to 21 of 21
  1. #1

    Exclamation How to reduce inode count of wordpress site without changing shared plan

    hello friends,
    One of my client is hosting a wordpress image site with qhoster with approx 3k+ posts and 1200 uv daily

    recently his inode count reached 99%

    how to educe the inode count ?

    clear cache ?

    delete posts ?

    he is not ready to change plan

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    India
    Posts
    218
    You should remove unnecessary files from the server. inode refers to the number for files. Deleting post would not help you instead delete uncessary files which include old cache, logs, images, scripts, etc.

  3. #3
    Hello.

    Usually reason of high inode usage are old session files. Probably could be found in directories with temporary files, such as temp/.
    Deleting unnecessary files such as themes, unused plugins and etc. wont help alot.

    Also check website cache.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    /root
    Posts
    23,981
    Have him check his account and delete files he do not need. Probably some trash files there hiding somewhere. Time to start scanning :-)

    Specially 4 U
    Reseller Hosting: Boost Your Websites | Fully Managed KVM VPS: 3.20 - 5.00 Ghz, Pure Dedicated Power
    JoneSolutions.Com is on the net 24/7 providing stable and reliable web hosting solutions, server management and services since 2001
    Debian|Ubuntu|cPanel|DirectAdmin|Enhance|Webuzo|Acronis|Estela|BitNinja|Nginx

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    London, UK
    Posts
    1,635
    Check any email accounts as well - they can use up a lot of inodes.
    Phil McKerracher
    I do server maintenance and troubleshooting

  6. #6
    There are several options available, I think the two best options would be:

    1. (Quick fix): Go through the account and remove any old files which are not needed and emails. The emails can be saved locally and/or backed up offsite then you might have files you just don't need which can be cleaned out.

    2. (Long term fix): Being an image site, potentially your client could shift those images onto external storage and then remove them from his site so they no longer count as an inode. For example, S3 or BackBlaze could host the images and then they be served on the site.

    What exactly is the inode limit on the account?
    Blazing Fast Web Hosting Solutions: HostDash | AblePage

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Miami, Florida
    Posts
    20,777
    Quote Originally Posted by Phil McKerracher View Post
    Check any email accounts as well - they can use up a lot of inodes.
    I was just going to say that - offloading email to a different provider could lead to a significant drop in inodes
    Keith I Myers
    KMyers.me The rantings of a lunatic
    Join me on Technical.chat

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Tallinn, Estonia, EU
    Posts
    92
    If you have now inodes limit red zone, so it's time to divide website services between hosts –*first of all, external email (simply modify mx in the DNS settings), the second step – external static images migration (this step could be made with CDN, another benefit – using this external service will significantly increase the website overall page speed).
    EUROPEAN NETWORKS -- www.en.ee
    VPS / Dedicated Servers / Colocation / Private Cloud
    DE/EE Locations - HP/Supermicro Hardware - Great Support
    Facebook: fb.com/EuropeanNetworks

  9. #9
    Your script should be automatically emptying the cache folder (usually the culprit) which stores thousands of files using up inodes limit.

    With help from provider/system admin, you can work out which folder is filling up and then set up a cronjob to clear the folder of old unused files every so often to keep the inode limit down.

    What is your inode limit set to? Some have it way too low while others offer 250-500k plus. You may simply just need a higher limit in order for the script to function properly. Or you may clear the old files manually as I mentioned before.
    HostXNow - Shared Web Hosting | Semi Dedicated Hosting | Enterprise Reseller Hosting | VPS Hosting

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    1,460
    Quote Originally Posted by EuropeanNetworks View Post
    If you have now inodes limit red zone, so it's time to divide website services between hosts –*first of all, external email (simply modify mx in the DNS settings), the second step – external static images migration (this step could be made with CDN, another benefit – using this external service will significantly increase the website overall page speed).
    Not sure you've thought that suggestion through - since a client that's unwilling to upgrade their single plan to increase their inode limit is even less likely to be willing to buy a second hosting plan entirely just to offload mail service to... or buy a CDN. Or buy... anything at all.

    @sash_007 is dealing with a cheapskate - which means the only viable option to recovering inodes without increasing costs is to delete files. Cache, mail, old uploads... something has gotta give.
    "I've seen spam you people wouldn't believe. Routers on fire off the OCs of AGIS. I watched MXes burning in the dark near the Cyberpromo Gateway. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. TTL=0."

  11. #11
    Current inode limit is 50k

    i asked host if i can delete tmp files inside webalizer ,webalizerftp.. he replied you can delete some files
    also there are files inside awstats

    check screenshot https://i.imgur.com/YWufXV7.jpg

    i was wandering if i can take local backup of this folders on my pc and then delete those files inside those folders

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Burlington, WI
    Posts
    408
    Type this in shell in the root directory if his site to see what's taking up the inode usage. Run in subsequent folders for more details.

    find . -printf "%h\n" | cut -d/ -f-2 | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn
    Dont forget the unix guru's guide to sex:
    gawk; talk; nice; date; wine; grep; touch; unzip; strip; touch; gasp; finger; gasp; mount; fsck; more; yes; gasp; umount; make clean; make mrproper; sleep

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    525
    Quote Originally Posted by ForgottenTech View Post
    Type this in shell in the root directory if his site to see what's taking up the inode usage. Run in subsequent folders for more details.

    find . -printf "%h\n" | cut -d/ -f-2 | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn

    You just reminded me the folks that used to say.. "emails are for kids, faxes is how business works"
    Undefined Variable
    Contact your webmaster.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    235
    One thing that many people miss is that Wordpress doesn't just upload one version of each image. Depending on the theme or different plugins installed, you could have a dozen or more images being created for EVERY image you upload. So if an image gallery plugin tells Wordpress it needs five different sizes (to use in different gallery layouts, for example), and a theme has 4 different thumbnail sizes it needs for different layouts, and Wordpress itself needs a small, medium and large, etc.......it can really add up.

    So you need to look in your images directory and you will be able to see how many sizes of each plugin there are. If there are a lot, you may need to investigate each plugin that is creating them, and set it to not create so many. Or you can also disable a certain size in your functions.php file.

    Once you have properly disabled the different sizes, that won't delete all the previously uploaded variations. You will need a plugin like Force Regenerate Thumbnails, which will delete all current thumbnails/image sizes and recreate them based on your new settings. BE WARNED that most plugins designed to regenerate thumbnails do NOT delete the old versions. That's why I suggested Force Regenerate Thumbnails, because it does.

    Addressing this across your whole Wordpress media library can clear up a lot of inodes if you are running an image site. It may not be your only problem, but definitely somewhere to look.

    Brent

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by koolkeys View Post
    One thing that many people miss is that Wordpress doesn't just upload one version of each image. Depending on the theme or different plugins installed, you could have a dozen or more images being created for EVERY image you upload. So if an image gallery plugin tells Wordpress it needs five different sizes (to use in different gallery layouts, for example), and a theme has 4 different thumbnail sizes it needs for different layouts, and Wordpress itself needs a small, medium and large, etc.......it can really add up.

    So you need to look in your images directory and you will be able to see how many sizes of each plugin there are. If there are a lot, you may need to investigate each plugin that is creating them, and set it to not create so many. Or you can also disable a certain size in your functions.php file.

    Once you have properly disabled the different sizes, that won't delete all the previously uploaded variations. You will need a plugin like Force Regenerate Thumbnails, which will delete all current thumbnails/image sizes and recreate them based on your new settings. BE WARNED that most plugins designed to regenerate thumbnails do NOT delete the old versions. That's why I suggested Force Regenerate Thumbnails, because it does.

    Addressing this across your whole Wordpress media library can clear up a lot of inodes if you are running an image site. It may not be your only problem, but definitely somewhere to look.

    Brent
    Hey your point is pretty valid and i checked uploads folder inside wp-content directory
    there i see wp generates 3 images for each image upload

    i was reading this article here
    1. Original image size
    2.150px x 150 px i think this for media library
    3.225 x 300
    4. in some cases i see 4 the image also of the same size of original image

    also i see 20-30 unattached images in media libary

    so my query is if my client deletes 3 images or post for every 3 images uploaded will that mean the deleted images also get deleted fromuploads directory ? or he have to manually delete those ? and will it help to keep the inode count constant ?

    i also want to know if i use your recommended plugin will it stop generating thumbs for media library also ?as thats needed for future reference of deleting any image by date from media library ?

    but i cant find add_image_size in functions of theme. which is used to generate image thumbs
    Last edited by sash_007; 01-17-2018 at 06:31 PM.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by SneakySysadmin View Post
    Not sure you've thought that suggestion through - since a client that's unwilling to upgrade their single plan to increase their inode limit is even less likely to be willing to buy a second hosting plan entirely just to offload mail service to... or buy a CDN. Or buy... anything at all.

    @sash_007 is dealing with a cheapskate - which means the only viable option to recovering inodes without increasing costs is to delete files. Cache, mail, old uploads... something has gotta give.
    he is not using any email service on the hosting account..

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    here, there, where?
    Posts
    4,097
    Before diving in to removing posts or images, you will want to find out if that is the most usage. See if the host can provide a inode usage report, for example using the command from @ForgottenTech . However, if you remove a post I believe the image is still there, so it has to be removed from the media library. You can also use a plugin to clear unused images. Lets say the wordpress install with all plugins, themes, etc use 5,000 inodes, which is about 3 times the number that a stock install uses, that leaves 45,000 for images and other such uploads. Does the site have any where near 10,000 images (unique and not the "related ones")? If so, then that is your likely culprit -- all the related images. If not, something else is chewing up inodes.

    if the host wont provide a report for inode usage per directory, then you can download the install and check it locally. And since you have it locally, move to a new host since they should provide usage reports one way or another on their limits.
    -Steven | Cooini, LLC
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it" -Aristotle

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    235
    Quote Originally Posted by sash_007 View Post
    Hey your point is pretty valid and i checked uploads folder inside wp-content directory
    there i see wp generates 3 images for each image upload

    i was reading this article here
    1. Original image size
    2.150px x 150 px i think this for media library
    3.225 x 300
    4. in some cases i see 4 the image also of the same size of original image

    also i see 20-30 unattached images in media libary

    so my query is if my client deletes 3 images or post for every 3 images uploaded will that mean the deleted images also get deleted fromuploads directory ? or he have to manually delete those ? and will it help to keep the inode count constant ?

    i also want to know if i use your recommended plugin will it stop generating thumbs for media library also ?as thats needed for future reference of deleting any image by date from media library ?


    but i cant find add_image_size in functions of theme. which is used to generate image thumbs
    It looks like you are just getting the standard Wordpress thumbnails.

    A few tips though. First of all, do NOT go deleting images through FTP or file manager. Only do it through Wordpress itself. Otherwise, the WP database won't know they are gone. WP references every image in the database.

    Second, if you really want to delete certain sizes, you have to tell Wordpress which sizes you don't need. Otherwise, it will just keep on regenerating the same images. You have to use your functions.php file to remove an image size, or a plugin. The functions.php option is best if you're using a child theme. Otherwise, a plugin might be safer.

    Finally, as already mentioned, don't assume this is the only cause of your inodes being eaten up. I only mentioned it because I think I saw that it is an image site, and I know this can be an issue if a site has thousands of images. But cache folders and other culprits could be the cause as well. So just take this advice as one step in addressing the problem.

    Good luck.

    Brent

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by koolkeys View Post
    It looks like you are just getting the standard Wordpress thumbnails.

    A few tips though. First of all, do NOT go deleting images through FTP or file manager. Only do it through Wordpress itself. Otherwise, the WP database won't know they are gone. WP references every image in the database.

    Second, if you really want to delete certain sizes, you have to tell Wordpress which sizes you don't need. Otherwise, it will just keep on regenerating the same images. You have to use your functions.php file to remove an image size, or a plugin. The functions.php option is best if you're using a child theme. Otherwise, a plugin might be safer.

    Finally, as already mentioned, don't assume this is the only cause of your inodes being eaten up. I only mentioned it because I think I saw that it is an image site, and I know this can be an issue if a site has thousands of images. But cache folders and other culprits could be the cause as well. So just take this advice as one step in addressing the problem.

    Good luck.

    Brent
    ya there is another way to prevent wp from generating ceratin image size

    that is wp media settings

    where you can turn off the image thumb you want to zero and that way also it would prevent wp from creating further thumbs of that size .. i saw this article

    and i also deleted some unattached images from wp media library and saw some lowering in inode count



    and @ steven99

    yes i think wp uploads folder images is the culprit here

    as there is approx 3k posts and each post have approx 2 images with it

    and wordpress creates 4 duplicate image for each image upload

    so i assume there are 3000 x 8 number of images that must be adding to inode count as koolkeys pointed out and i saw drop in inode count immediately after i delete some unattached images from wp media library..still i will look for other cause

    thanks everyone for their input .. i will keep updating if i see other issues

  20. #20
    Well, I think 50k inodes is too small and had you had 250k you would not have to worry about such issues so soon. A lot of providers even offer 500k now. An easier solution would be to try a different provider. But sure, still do suggestions mentioned by other members too to save you having to upgrade/pay more money unnecessarily and waste time in the future.
    HostXNow - Shared Web Hosting | Semi Dedicated Hosting | Enterprise Reseller Hosting | VPS Hosting

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Burlington, WI
    Posts
    408
    I agree that 50k is way low. The standard in a lot of places is 100k plus.
    Dont forget the unix guru's guide to sex:
    gawk; talk; nice; date; wine; grep; touch; unzip; strip; touch; gasp; finger; gasp; mount; fsck; more; yes; gasp; umount; make clean; make mrproper; sleep

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-24-2008, 10:56 AM
  2. How to get a copy of entire site without FTP access?
    By mrzippy in forum Hosting Security and Technology
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 01-23-2007, 09:52 AM
  3. how to test the speed of my site
    By baxao in forum Other Reviews
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 03-21-2006, 10:47 PM
  4. Replies: 3
    Last Post: 08-08-2005, 12:02 AM
  5. How to find the webhost of a site
    By MikeP18 in forum Web Hosting
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 04-29-2005, 05:49 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •