MySQL Performance: LAMP => Apache memory usage is confusing

Apache memory usage is confusing [message #2649]

Mon, 18 February 2008 10:07

razdaman
Messages: 25
Registered: May 2007

Junior Member

Hi guys,

I'm getting pretty confused about the numbers my apache web server is giving concerning memory usage.

By looking at 'top' I see that my httpd-processes eats around 14Mb of memory each. Through 'ps ax | grep httpd' I find out that I have around 200 running processes.

I thought this would mean that apache is consuming around 200 * 14Mb = 2800Mb om ram.

However, when looking at 'top' I see this:
Mem: 386M Active, 3122M Inact, 270M Wired, 209M Cache, 112M Buf, 8160K Free

3122M of 'inactive' memory out of a total of 4Gb. Apparently apache is not using around 2800mb as I thought.

What am I doing wrong here? In need to know how this works in order to tune the server appropriately.

I am using apache 2.2 with prefork on a FreeBSD box.

Thanks in advance...

[Updated on: Mon, 18 February 2008 10:08]

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