---
id: f4d91849-9b96-44cd-857d-18668d24adec
---
# Swap Space filling Up
---

A swap space issue in Linux occurs when the system's usage of swap space becomes problematic or inefficient. while swap space is valuable for handling occasional memory demands, over-reliance on it can indicate underlying performance issues. Understanding swap usage patterns and tuning the system accordingly can help avoid swap space problems and improve overall system performance.

### Parameters
```shell
export HOST_NAME="PLACEHOLDER"
```

## Debug

### Check swap usage on the affected host
```shell
free -m
```

### Check which processes are using swap space on the affected host
```shell
sudo swapon -s

sudo swapon --show=NAME,SIZE,USED,PRIO
```

### Check system logs for any indications of swap space issues
```shell
sudo journalctl -k | grep "Out of memory"

sudo dmesg | grep "Out of memory"
```

### Check disk space usage on the affected host
```shell
df -h
```

### Check if any processes are consuming high CPU or memory resources
```shell
top
```

### Turning off all swap spaces and removing swap entries
```shell
#!/bin/bash



# Check if swap is enabled

if [ "$(swapon --show | wc -l)" -gt 0 ]; then

  echo "Swap is currently enabled. Disabling swap..."

  

  # Turn off all swap devices

  sudo swapoff -a

  

  # Remove swap entries from /etc/fstab

  sudo sed -i '/swap/d' /etc/fstab

  

  echo "Swap is disabled."

else

  echo "Swap is already disabled."

fi
```


A swap space issue in Linux occurs when the system's usage of swap space becomes problematic or inefficient. while swap space is valuable for handling occasional memory demands, over-reliance on it can indicate underlying performance issues. Understanding swap usage patterns and tuning the system accordingly can help avoid swap space problems and improve overall system performance.


The Host Out of Memory (OOM) Incident occurs when a server or system runs out of memory, causing it to crash or become unresponsive. This can be caused by various factors, such as an unexpected surge in traffic or insufficient resources allocated to the system. Resolving this type of incident requires identifying the root cause of the memory issue and taking appropriate measures such as optimizing system resources or increasing memory capacity.


Host Out of Memory (OOM) Incident

Tomcat High Swap Usage Incident refers to an event where Tomcat, a popular open-source web server, is experiencing high swap usage. Swap usage is a memory management technique used by the operating system to temporarily move data from RAM to the hard disk. When Tomcat is consuming high swap memory, it can cause the server to slow down or even crash, resulting in downtime for the website or application hosted on the server. This incident type requires immediate attention to identify the root cause and resolve the issue to prevent further downtime.


Tomcat High Swap Usage Incident

Tomcat is a widely used open source web server and servlet container software. Full GC (Garbage Collection) is a process that runs in Java Virtual Machine (JVM) to reclaim memory occupied by objects that are no longer in use. When Full GC events happen too frequently, it can cause performance issues and lead to application downtime. This incident type refers to the occurrence of frequent Full GC events in Tomcat.


Tomcat Frequent Full GC Events

This incident type refers to a situation where Spark tasks are failing due to out of memory errors. Spark is a distributed computing system used for big data processing. When the data volume exceeds the allocated memory, the Spark tasks fail, and the system generates an out of memory error. This type of incident can cause data processing delays or even system downtime, which can impact the overall performance of the application.


Spark tasks failing due to out of memory errors.

This incident type refers to a situation where a Spark cluster experiences performance bottlenecks when it is subjected to peak loads. In other words, the Spark cluster struggles to handle the high volume of requests it receives during times of heavy traffic or increased demand. This can lead to slower processing times, delays, or even system crashes. Identifying and resolving the root cause of the bottlenecks is crucial to ensure the smooth functioning of the Spark cluster during peak loads.


Spark cluster bottlenecks during peak loads.

```shell
export HOST_NAME="PLACEHOLDER"
```


### Check swap usage on the affected host

```shell
free -m
```

### Check which processes are using swap space on the affected host

```shell
sudo swapon -s

sudo swapon --show=NAME,SIZE,USED,PRIO
```

### Check system logs for any indications of swap space issues

```shell
sudo journalctl -k | grep "Out of memory"

sudo dmesg | grep "Out of memory"
```

### Check disk space usage on the affected host

```shell
df -h
```

### Check if any processes are consuming high CPU or memory resources

```shell
top
```

### Turning off all swap spaces and removing swap entries

```shell
#!/bin/bash



# Check if swap is enabled

if [ "$(swapon --show | wc -l)" -gt 0 ]; then

  echo "Swap is currently enabled. Disabling swap..."

  

  # Turn off all swap devices

  sudo swapoff -a

  

  # Remove swap entries from /etc/fstab

  sudo sed -i '/swap/d' /etc/fstab

  

  echo "Swap is disabled."

else

  echo "Swap is already disabled."

fi
```


Swap Space filling Up

Overview

Parameters

Debug

Check swap usage on the affected host

Check which processes are using swap space on the affected host

Check system logs for any indications of swap space issues

Check disk space usage on the affected host

Check if any processes are consuming high CPU or memory resources

Turning off all swap spaces and removing swap entries

Learn more

Related Runbooks

Host Out of Memory (OOM) Incident

Tomcat High Swap Usage Incident

Tomcat Frequent Full GC Events

Spark tasks failing due to out of memory errors.

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