Question

Create a OOM condition for test.

Asked by: medent

Hi,  I would like to add a stress test to my testing portfolio that specifically stresses low mem.  I would like to be able to benchmark a servers ability to handle low memory stress.  In other words I want to see how far I can push a server before OOM will happen.
I'm not sure how to create such a test and looking for ideas to develop this (script based or c prog)
I have had servers fail with OOM issues out in the field, so I want to be able to benchmark this as a test to make verify new configs are correct, etc, before sending out!  Thanks.  

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Asked On
2008-07-29 at 05:54:27ID23603758
Topics

Linux Administration

,

Linux

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
5

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Answers

 

by: nognewPosted on 2008-07-29 at 07:45:33ID: 22111953

Hello!
 this tiny C program will eat up your memory in a while.
Regards,
t.

#include <malloc.h>
 
int main(void) {
 while(1) {
  int *newvar = (int *) malloc(10*sizeof(int));
 }
}

                                              
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by: ravenplPosted on 2008-07-29 at 08:14:30ID: 22112298

LOL - it will not. You have to actually use the allocated memory.

 

by: medentPosted on 2008-07-29 at 10:15:45ID: 22113507

It's specifically low memory.   I've tried things like shell scripts which fork like crazy because each process initiates in low mem - and I see low mem drop quite a bit but never OOM.

 

by: ravenplPosted on 2008-07-29 at 10:38:45ID: 22113711

Lowmem is like over 700M of memory(for 32bit). Lot's of things You can fit there.
I don't know how to test it, but few ideas
- configure jumbo frames
- run nfs server and issue massive large reads to the server(from clients).
- do massive i/o
- try creating hugepages(PAE kernel only)
- create many processes(and keep alive)

Finally craft a module, which will issue many kmalloc() and eat say 500M of lowmem. Should free it upon module unloading.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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