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Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

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    Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

    I have recently updated a clients Alpha server to build 6012-5338 (non IIS version) and the server is continually increasing the amount of memory its using during the day to the extent that the service has to be stopped and re-started several times during the day.

    Nothing has changed in terms of the applications being run or the number of users and prior to the server upgrade we did not have this issue.

    Just wondered if anyone else has come across the same problem or has any advice as to how to track down the problem?

    Many thanks
    Julian

    #2
    Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

    Julian
    It sounds like their is a memory leak in one of your component. If would be very helpful if you could identify which component or .a5w page is leaking and then send us the test case.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

      Hi Julian/Selwyn,

      I ran into the exact same problem with the current release. I ended up having to roll back to a previous version. The memory kept increasing to the point that the application crashed (PetSitClick).

      A few years back this issue used to happen to me all the time, but the releases since about 2014 have been rock solid from this perspective, I was very surprised to see it was back. But much worse because the memory creep would occur over about 4-5 hours vs. 24 hours in 2013/2014.

      My plan was to wait for the next release and try using that new batch feature to recalculate all of UX components. Selwyn, any chance that could solve the problem?

      When I next try to upgrade what log would be the best to capture the issue?

      Cheers,

      Scott

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

        Originally posted by Selwyn Rabins View Post
        Julian
        It sounds like their is a memory leak in one of your component. If would be very helpful if you could identify which component or .a5w page is leaking and then send us the test case.
        How would someone identify which component or .a5w page was leaking? What is the process for doing this?

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

          Maybe this helps, seems pretty complex to me to actually determine what is causing a memory leak .. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...-a-memory-leak

          I too would like Alpha's recommendation on how to go about this.
          Alpha Anywhere v12.4.6.5.2 Build 8867-5691 IIS v10.0 on Windows Server 2019 Std in Hyper-V

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

            Me three! I'm wondering if there is some sort of unpublished tool Alpha has to detect such an instance. Or does one have to monitor the task manager and open pages one by one and take an educated guess?
            Mike Brown - Contact Me
            Programmatic Technologies, LLC
            Programmatic-Technologies.com
            Independent Developer & Consultant​​

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

              Well there is a tool, I used it some years ago, (jerry brighthill from alpa gave it to me) can’t remember the details but it found whenever there was a data refresh using the timer in the UX, the memory would leak, so it does exist, there was also a toll the made the server logs actually useful. Screwed without it really.
              Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
              Albert Einstein, (attributed)
              US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                From what I understand there isn't any tool. You need to turn on all logs and run each component, one at a time, until you see the leak. It's a bit of a slog, but there's no other way to do it.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                  Sorry David, I didn’t imagine this, it was some years ago in Nevada When the tool was made available, I no longer have access and simply don’t Remember the name of the application back in 2015, I still recommend contacting Jerry.
                  Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
                  Albert Einstein, (attributed)
                  US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                    It doesn't make sense that there is a tool and Selwyn doesn't know about it. Why would he post "identify which component or .a5w page is leaking and then send us the test case" without offering some kind of hint of how to actually identify where the leak is coming from?

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                      Well, I know I had to fight hard to get the utilities back then, so who knows.
                      Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
                      Albert Einstein, (attributed)
                      US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                        Not sure I understand. The tool was made available... and you got it from Jerry... but you had to "fight hard" for it... and you no longer have it... and there is no name for it.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                          At one time, Alpha had a internal use only tool that could analyze the data in the Raw HTTP Logs to find the time between a request and a response, and the memory used after a response for the standard server. The format of the logs changes slightly over time, and the tool was never updated.

                          However, the data still exists in the Raw HTTP Log.

                          To find the time for a request to response, find the request in the log by looking for the header record such as

                          08/Aug/2018:09:32:45 -0400
                          Thread Name: AppServerWorker5
                          Thread ID: f248d9a99efa4b6ba8866703ec544570
                          Request Sequence: 22
                          Socket Handle: 4444
                          KeepAlive Sequence: 1
                          **HEADERS**

                          POST /myapp/aComp.a5wcmp?__virtualPage=__a5RunDialog.a5w&__dialogFilename=AComp&__alias=DLG1&__unsaved=no HTTP/1.1

                          The POST or GET will show the page and / or component requested, such as the component "AComp" above. To find the response, look for a match using the data in Thread ID, Request Sequence, and Socket Handle

                          Thread ID: f248d9a99efa4b6ba8866703ec544570
                          Request Sequence: 22
                          Socket Handle: 4444

                          Such as:

                          08/Aug/2018:09:32:45 -0400
                          Thread Name: AppServerWorker5
                          Thread ID: f248d9a99efa4b6ba8866703ec544570
                          Request Sequence: 22
                          Socket Handle: 4444
                          KeepAlive Sequence: 1
                          Sessions/Tables/Variables/Exceptions|Memory/Peak/PageFaults: 11/2/4033/0|142848000/180813824/187133
                          **RESPONSE**

                          If you compare the times in the header and response, you will see it took effectively 0 seconds. You can also find the time to build the body by looking for the **BODY** record. The Response record also has other useful information such as

                          Sessions/Tables/Variables/Exceptions|Memory/Peak/PageFaults: 11/2/4033/0|142848000/180813824/187133

                          By tracking the Memory, and the Peak memory, you can often find what requests caused memory to go up

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                            Thanks Jerry. David you really can go to far.. - could be the reason contributors to the Message Board no longer bother.
                            Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
                            Albert Einstein, (attributed)
                            US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Alpha server consuming large amounts of memory

                              Still not sure I understand. Alpha had an internal use only tool... but gave it to users... but no longer have it.

                              So now, in order to find a leak, you must search through hours of a log for every .a5w page and component used in an application, then find and compare the request and response each time that UX was accessed. Needle in a haystack time. This just doesn't sound right.

                              Comment

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