Can't kill stranges smbd processes

[Jerome Le Tanou]

Hi,

We've got a file/print server based on Linux RH 7.1 with samba (kernel
2.4.3 and samba 2.0.10 recompiled) on IBM Netfinity 5100 (2 PIII733 /
1GB /  260GB Raid 5) for about 650 users (MS Windows 9x).
We have a problem with unused smbd processes which have difficulty in
disappearing, and which take all the cpu, while there are no more user
opposite (the station is shutdown).

Sometime (often), the user touched by this phenomenon can not connect
any more but a new smbd process is again launched to every attempt, and
at the end we've got a server saturated by unused smbd process smbd.
Furthermore when we try to kill theses processus with kill -9 sometime
nothing is done and we must restart the server to clear up the mess
(Once a week for about one month).

We tried to deactivate oplocks for 2 weeks but the situation did not
change (kernel oplocks was not deactivated).

The problem, is that it is difficult to us to do more investigation seen
the number of served customers. With such a load, the activation of logs
is painful.

If anyone can offer some suggestions on how to troubleshoot this problem
and suggest solutions... We would appreciate it.

Best regards,

-- 
Jerome Le Tanou