Linode.com Forum

[JamesSykes]

How many can we use? I remember a limit of 1024? Is that a hard limit or what?

Thanks

[Guest]

Does anyone have a response to this question? If this is a hard limit per linode, then I will be thinking twice about this service...

[efudd]

Er.. you are only limited by the fd's you specify in your own linode setup. Each linode is it's own (relatively independant) OS installation.

You effectively use 0 filedescriptors on the physical host. Well, you are using one for each unique filesystem you setup.. or sompn like that.

Ultimately, any fd limit you hit is something you can correct yourself.

perhaps someone else more clued will chime in here.

-e

[caker]

On the host, each Linode uses two file descriptors for the console, one to /dev/null, one for each disk image, and one for each memory map the UML kernel opens.

I've observed Linodes consuming an average of 20-30 file descriptors on the host. There is a limit placed on each Linode on the host itself, but it is an insanely high value that's only there as a break for run-away Linodes (or other evil-doers).

Inside your Linode, you are free to use as many file descriptors as your UML kernel can handle (or /proc/sys/fs/file-max), which has a compiled in max of 1048576 open fd.

-Chris

[You_Wish]

What is the purpose of going higher than 1024 anyway? What will that do for you? I use just the default settings and it rocks.

[Ashen]

If you run an irc server with over 1024 users you need over 1024 file descriptors.

That said, someone needing a 1000 user irc server would have their own totally dedicated colocated box.

-Ashen