crymble@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We have had the following appear on the same 5.0.6 server twice now in
> the last two weeks. When it happens some cron items still run, but a
> lot of them fail to start - and we also get a lot of defunct processes
> appearing (see below.)
>
> Any ideas of where I would start to look to find what is causing
> this.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Keith
>
> P.S. Last time it happened a core file was created so I have that if
> it can be examined.
>
>
> ps -elf output..........
> F S UID PID PPID C PRI NI ADDR SZ WCHAN
> STIME TTY TIME CMD
> 71 S root 0 0 0 95 20 fb117000 0 f037d8e0
> Apr-09 ? 00:00:00 sched
> 20 Z root 1 0 0 0 20 - - -
> .
> ....snipped a couple of thousand similar lines
> .
> - - 00:00:00 <defunct>
> 20 Z root 16606 1 0 0 24 - - -
> - - 00:00:00 <defunct>
> 20 Z root 16596 1 0 0 20 - - -
> - - 00:00:00 <defunct>
>

Just a suggestion: If you're going to post wide output, set your
e-mail program to not wrap at 70-80 characters. Someone would
have to be desperate for something to do to spend the time
to pour through the mess you posted:

F S UID PID PPID C PRI NI ADDR SZ WCHAN STIME TTY TIME CMD
71 S root 0 0 0 95 20 fb117000 0 f047b068 Apr-19 ? 00:00:00 sched
20 S root 1 0 0 66 20 fb117158 144 e0000000 Apr-19 ? 00:00:07 /etc/init -a
71 S root 2 0 0 95 20 fb1172b0 0 f0221fd4 Apr-19 ? 00:00:00 vhand
71 S root 3 0 0 95 20 fb117408 0 f0022a64 Apr-19 ? 00:00:03 bdflush
61 R root 4 0 0 36 39 fb117560 0 - Apr-19 ? 00:00:00 CPU1 idle process
71 S root 5 0 0 95 20 fb1176b8 0 f02c9bb8 Apr-19 ? 00:00:00 kmdaemon
71 S root 6 1 0 95 20 fb117810 0 c0140150 Apr-19 ? 00:00:04 htepi_daemon /
71 S root 7 0 0 95 20 fb117968 0 f0369aec Apr-19 ? 00:00:00 strd
61 S root 8 1 0 81 20 fb117ac0 0 f03aca6c Apr-19 ? 00:00:00 udi_alloc

The above was sent with line wrap turned off. If it wraps when you
read it, it is wrapping at your end.

--
Steve Fabac
S.M. Fabac & Associates
816/765-1670