Its not actually a bug in kernel but a bug in the application that is trying to acquire large size memory pages and kernel is failing to provide those pages. In our case the application that was misbehaving was the device driver of our network card. Try updating the nic card driver on your system and see if that helps.
-- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel Packages, which is subscribed to linux-ec2 in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/648721 Title: page allocation failure on machines under heavy network load Status in linux-ec2 package in Ubuntu: Invalid Bug description: Tuning option: The error messages seen below indicate failure to allocate a 32K chunk of memory (order 5 allocation = 2^5K), the valid function calls in the stack trace lead to the network stack. The problem mainly is that the virtual network devices allocate and free buffers quicker than the vm subsystem can keep up with. Increasing the amount of memory tried to keep free for allocations (/proc/sys/vm/min_free_kbytes) avoids the messages. --- This error occurs in many processes running on our web servers: apache2, glusterfsd, kswapd0, rsyslogd, swapper and zabbix_agentd today. Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608929] __ratelimit: 35 callbacks suppressed Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608933] swapper: page allocation failure. order:5, mode:0x20 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608937] Pid: 0, comm: swapper Not tainted 2.6.32-305-ec2 #9-Ubuntu Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608939] Call Trace: Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608948] [<c052840d>] ? printk+0x18/0x1b Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608960] [<c019be6e>] __alloc_pages_slowpath+0x46e/0x4a0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608963] [<c019bfed>] __alloc_pages_nodemask+0x14d/0x160 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608968] [<c01c4e65>] T.685+0xe5/0x3a0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608971] [<c01c531c>] cache_alloc_refill+0x1fc/0x230 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608975] [<c01c54c6>] __kmalloc+0x176/0x1a0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608979] [<c048d9e3>] pskb_expand_head+0x53/0x170 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608982] [<c048f50c>] __pskb_pull_tail+0x4c/0x2d0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608987] [<c04b66d1>] ? nf_iterate+0x71/0x90 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608990] [<c04bffd0>] ? dst_output+0x0/0x10 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608993] [<c049a743>] dev_queue_xmit+0x143/0x560 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.608996] [<c04b6829>] ? nf_hook_slow+0x59/0xd0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609000] [<c04c27df>] ip_finish_output+0x12f/0x2c0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609003] [<c04c2a0f>] ip_output+0x9f/0xb0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609006] [<c04bffd0>] ? dst_output+0x0/0x10 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609008] [<c04c1bc8>] ip_local_out+0x18/0x20 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609011] [<c04c22e7>] ip_queue_xmit+0x147/0x390 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609016] [<c012a0dc>] ? enqueue_entity+0x14c/0x1e0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609022] [<c01400d7>] ? lock_timer_base+0x27/0x50 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609027] [<c04d4935>] tcp_transmit_skb+0x395/0x6e0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609030] [<c04d252f>] ? tcp_clean_rtx_queue+0x5af/0x790 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609033] [<c04d6d47>] tcp_write_xmit+0x167/0x460 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609037] [<c04d7421>] __tcp_push_pending_frames+0x31/0x90 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609040] [<c04d0166>] tcp_data_snd_check+0x26/0xe0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609043] [<c04d354b>] tcp_rcv_established+0x2eb/0x5d0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609046] [<c04da44d>] tcp_v4_do_rcv+0xbd/0x130 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609049] [<c04db1fe>] tcp_v4_rcv+0x5fe/0x6f0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609051] [<c04b66d1>] ? nf_iterate+0x71/0x90 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609054] [<c04b6829>] ? nf_hook_slow+0x59/0xd0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609058] [<c04bda87>] ip_local_deliver_finish+0xa7/0x270 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609061] [<c04bdcd7>] ip_local_deliver+0x87/0x90 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609064] [<c04bd9e0>] ? ip_local_deliver_finish+0x0/0x270 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609067] [<c04bd33b>] ip_rcv_finish+0xeb/0x380 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609071] [<c050ddb8>] ? packet_rcv_spkt+0x38/0x140 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609074] [<c04bd7ee>] ip_rcv+0x21e/0x2e0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609077] [<c050ddb8>] ? packet_rcv_spkt+0x38/0x140 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609080] [<c049901f>] netif_receive_skb+0x39f/0x5c0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609084] [<c0453fae>] netif_poll+0x4ce/0x7b0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609088] [<c0499a5a>] net_rx_action+0x12a/0x270 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609091] [<c04d82a0>] ? tcp_write_timer+0x0/0x200 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609095] [<c01387fb>] __do_softirq+0xab/0x1e0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609099] [<c01775f7>] ? handle_IRQ_event+0x97/0x180 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609102] [<c01775c4>] ? handle_IRQ_event+0x64/0x180 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609105] [<c01389b5>] do_softirq+0x85/0x90 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609108] [<c0138acd>] irq_exit+0x2d/0x40 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609111] [<c0443f55>] evtchn_do_upcall+0x1c5/0x1f0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609114] [<c0136ec8>] ? ns_to_timespec+0x38/0x50 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609118] [<c0104a06>] hypervisor_callback+0x4a/0x52 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609121] [<c0106735>] ? xen_safe_halt+0x15/0x40 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609125] [<c0109e09>] xen_idle+0x29/0x80 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609127] [<c01034af>] cpu_idle+0x8f/0xc0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609131] [<c051c793>] rest_init+0x53/0x60 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609136] [<c06b5c28>] start_kernel+0x379/0x37f Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609139] [<c06b56d9>] ? unknown_bootoption+0x0/0x1a0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609144] [<c06b5067>] i386_start_kernel+0x67/0x6e Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609150] Mem-Info: Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609152] DMA per-cpu: Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609154] CPU 0: hi: 0, btch: 1 usd: 0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609156] CPU 1: hi: 0, btch: 1 usd: 0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609157] Normal per-cpu: Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609159] CPU 0: hi: 155, btch: 38 usd: 34 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609161] CPU 1: hi: 155, btch: 38 usd: 125 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609162] HighMem per-cpu: Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609164] CPU 0: hi: 155, btch: 38 usd: 27 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609166] CPU 1: hi: 155, btch: 38 usd: 11 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609170] active_anon:130673 inactive_anon:43799 isolated_anon:48 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609171] active_file:69994 inactive_file:114046 isolated_file:0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609172] unevictable:8 dirty:36 writeback:0 unstable:0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609173] free:46836 slab_reclaimable:25018 slab_unreclaimable:2516 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609174] mapped:12605 shmem:7770 pagetables:0 bounce:0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609180] DMA free:2880kB min:76kB low:92kB high:112kB active_anon:0kB inactive_anon:0kB active_file:5064kB inactive_file:112kB unevictable:0kB isolated(anon):0kB isolated(file):0kB present:16256kB mlocked:0kB dirty:0kB writeback:0kB mapped:0kB shmem:0kB slab_reclaimable:140kB slab_unreclaimable:0kB kernel_stack:0kB pagetables:0kB unstable:0kB bounce:0kB writeback_tmp:0kB pages_scanned:0 all_unreclaimable? no Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609184] lowmem_reserve[]: 0 696 1710 1710 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609191] Normal free:144196kB min:3336kB low:4168kB high:5004kB active_anon:45808kB inactive_anon:11704kB active_file:193280kB inactive_file:178152kB unevictable:0kB isolated(anon):0kB isolated(file):0kB present:713224kB mlocked:0kB dirty:56kB writeback:0kB mapped:7844kB shmem:7824kB slab_reclaimable:99932kB slab_unreclaimable:10064kB kernel_stack:1360kB pagetables:0kB unstable:0kB bounce:0kB writeback_tmp:0kB pages_scanned:0 all_unreclaimable? no Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609196] lowmem_reserve[]: 0 0 8111 8111 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609203] HighMem free:40268kB min:512kB low:1724kB high:2940kB active_anon:476884kB inactive_anon:163684kB active_file:81632kB inactive_file:277920kB unevictable:32kB isolated(anon):0kB isolated(file):0kB present:1038292kB mlocked:32kB dirty:88kB writeback:0kB mapped:42576kB shmem:23256kB slab_reclaimable:0kB slab_unreclaimable:0kB kernel_stack:0kB pagetables:0kB unstable:0kB bounce:0kB writeback_tmp:0kB pages_scanned:48 all_unreclaimable? no Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609207] lowmem_reserve[]: 0 0 0 0 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609211] DMA: 458*4kB 1*8kB 1*16kB 0*32kB 0*64kB 0*128kB 0*256kB 0*512kB 1*1024kB 0*2048kB 0*4096kB = 2880kB Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609219] Normal: 16083*4kB 5465*8kB 1009*16kB 457*32kB 82*64kB 1*128kB 0*256kB 0*512kB 0*1024kB 0*2048kB 0*4096kB = 144196kB Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609227] HighMem: 211*4kB 88*8kB 1554*16kB 407*32kB 7*64kB 1*128kB 1*256kB 0*512kB 0*1024kB 0*2048kB 0*4096kB = 40268kB Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609236] 194330 total pagecache pages Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609238] 2520 pages in swap cache Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609240] Swap cache stats: add 2222885, delete 2220365, find 14893866/14933489 Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609242] Free swap = 856824kB Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.609243] Total swap = 917496kB Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.615308] 447488 pages RAM Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.615311] 263682 pages HighMem Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.615312] 10446 pages reserved Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.615313] 244645 pages shared Sep 27 07:39:19 web3 kernel: [2909159.615315] 279978 pages non-shared I can't tell for certain if these errors cause any problem, but we are seeing performance issues on these machines and I want to clear this up before digging too much further. Similar errors have been reported online related to network drivers (iwlan/madwifi), and connection tracking, none of which should be relevant based on my backtraces. Also reported relating to EC2: http://developer.amazonwebservices.com/connect/thread.jspa?threadID=43939 According to this thread, similar issues have been fixed in 2.6.35: http://www.spinics.net/lists/netdev/msg139488.html Ubuntu 10.04 AMI: ami-a94d67dd Manifest: 099720109477/ebs/ubuntu-images/ubuntu-lucid-10.04-i386-server-20100427.1 AKI: aki-c34d67b7 This particular instance is a c1.medium. crb@web3:~$ uname -a Linux web3 2.6.32-305-ec2 #9-Ubuntu SMP Thu Apr 15 04:14:01 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-ec2/+bug/648721/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages Post to : kernel-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp