RE: high context switching and high load averages slowing down system

["Joseph D. Wagner" <theman josephdwagner info>]

This is the EXT3 File System mailing list.  I don't mean to be rude; it's just that you may get better answers to your questions on another mailing list.

> Any ideas on why this is happening and how to fix it?

Off the top of my head, it sounds like your system is thrashing.  Is there some out-of-control process hogging all the memory?

Some links I found on google.com include:

http://www.unix.org.ua/orelly/oracle/guide8i/ch05_01.htm

The 2.6 kernel has better multitasking capabilities.  You may want to try building a custom kernel with SMP and 4 GB High Memory with Preemptive Multitasking turned on.

But like I said, this is all off the top of my head.

Joseph D. Wagner