Bug ID 692179: Potential high memory usage from errdefsd.

Last Modified: Sep 13, 2023

Affected Product(s):
BIG-IP All(all modules)

Known Affected Versions:
12.0.0, 12.0.0 HF1, 12.1.0 HF1, 12.0.0 HF2, 12.1.0 HF2, 12.0.0 HF3, 12.0.0 HF4, 12.1.1 HF1, 12.1.1 HF2, 12.1.2 HF1, 12.1.2 HF2, 12.1.0, 12.1.1, 12.1.2, 12.1.3, 12.1.3.1, 12.1.3.2, 12.1.3.3, 12.1.3.4, 12.1.3.5, 13.0.0, 13.0.0 HF1, 13.0.0 HF2, 13.0.0 HF3, 13.0.1, 13.1.0, 13.1.0.1, 13.1.0.2, 13.1.0.3, 13.1.0.4, 13.1.0.5, 13.1.0.6, 13.1.0.7, 13.1.0.8, 13.1.1

Fixed In:
14.0.0, 13.1.1.2, 12.1.3.6

Opened: Nov 02, 2017

Severity: 3-Major

Symptoms

errdefsd memory usage grows with each config-sync or config update.

Impact

In extreme cases, errdefsd memory usage might increase userland memory-pressure. Note, however, that it isn't actually using the extra memory, so while Virtual Memory Size (VSZ) might be high, Resident Set Size (RSS) need not be.

Conditions

Ever increasing errdefsd memory usage is visible when the following conditions are met: -- Config updates are frequent. -- management-port logging is not being used.

Workaround

A workaround for this problem is to periodically send logs to a management-port destination. The destination may be as simple as a dummy UDP port on 127.0.0.1. Adding such a destination to the publisher for an existing, active log source will work. errdefsd just needs a reason to process and flush accumulating configurations.

Fix Information

The changes in this bug force errdefsd to check for config changes once every second in addition to checking whenever management-port destination logs come in.

Behavior Change

Guides & references

K10134038: F5 Bug Tracker Filter Names and Tips