Dear All:
I've noticed something on RH7.1 and Apache that I've never seen before and frankly, this ones scares the crap out of me.
I'm running RH7.1 and Apache 3.1.19 that comes with it. I'm also running the latest ypserv, upon which the system is depending for security. I've noticed a couple of things:
(1) Under a heavy load ypserv gets itself into a loop that eats up all of memory, then all of swap, thus killing the machine. This behaviour was never exhibited before RH7.1 on the same machine. No matter what you do to improve machine conditions (like turning off every service that isn't ABSOLUTELY and direly necessary, never running graphics, never touching the thing at ALL), it gets in the same bad fix. Only solution: poweroff and power-on and let it fsck itself into a low roar.
(2) When the above occurs, the server running Apache of course loses contact with its closest yp server. Unfortunately, it doesn't always pick up the next in line. (NB: I've applied the latest RPM for yp bugs...ZERO improvement). Even though there is another yp server sitting physically next to the web server, it's rarely picked up and employed. Again, regardless of configuration in yp.conf.
The BAD result of all of this is: when Apache no longer has NIS to depend on, it begins running all its threads as root.
Holy SPIT!!!!!! You can imagine my shock and trepidation.
This effect ***NEVER*** occurred on 6.2 with even more network load on it.
Now I've installed everything that should be installed (updates, etc), have tuned as much as can reasonably be done. Does anyone else have any ideas on how to fix/prevent this?
At present, my plans are to get rid of 7.1 and go back to 6.2 which, by proof of use, was much more stable and securable. 6.2 NEVER allowed Apache to run as root when NIS disappeared (it continued to run as nobody.nobody -- CGI died, but that was the point!) Now, if NIS dies, Apache gets confused and not only allows CGI to continue to run, but it allows it to run as root!
Hellup!!!
Bill