[Samba] number of processes (501) is over allowed limit (500)

[Ralf Gross]

Hello,

I regularly have the problem that no new connections to our samba
server can be established (debian etch amd64, samba 3.0.24-6etch4, security =
ADS).


[2007/11/20 13:43:45, 0] smbd/server.c:allowable_number_of_smbd_processes(220)
  allowable_number_of_smbd_processes: number of processes (501) is over allowed limit (500)
[2007/11/20 13:54:00, 0] smbd/server.c:allowable_number_of_smbd_processes(220)
  allowable_number_of_smbd_processes: number of processes (501) is over allowed limit (500)
[2007/11/20 14:04:57, 0] lib/util_sock.c:get_peer_addr(1229)
  getpeername failed. Error was Der Socket ist nicht verbunden
[2007/11/20 14:42:56, 0] smbd/server.c:allowable_number_of_smbd_processes(220)
  allowable_number_of_smbd_processes: number of processes (501) is over allowed limit (500)
[2007/11/20 14:51:21, 0] lib/util_sock.c:get_peer_addr(1229)
  getpeername failed. Error was Der Socket ist nicht verbunden

I've the following in my smb.conf:

max smbd processes = 500
deadtime = 15

I rember that I once had the problem that several hundred smbd processes made
the server completely unresponsive. I then added the above config options.

Now I see the 'number of processes (501) is over allowed limit (500)' messages
every few weeks. But if I check the running smbd processes I never find more
than 70-80. This is also the number of procs that are usually running.

# smbstatus -p -b | wc -l
60

# ps -eLf | grep smbd | wc -l
58

# pgrep -lf smbd | wc -l
57

# netstat -tunp | grep smb | wc -l
55

# ps aux | grep nmbd | wc -l
1


So my questions are:

* why is smbd complaining about >500 processes if only 74 are running?
* how can I check what the resason for the message/number of proecesses is?


Thanks, Ralf