Load Average >=1, mips kernel 2.6.10

Load Average >=1, mips kernel 2.6.10

[Mandeep Ahuja]

Hi,
I need your guys help.

I have an embedded system thats has mips processor. I recently updated 
to Kernel 2.6.10 from 2.4.17.
I was able to run the kernel and mount the jffs2 file system.

When the system starts the load average is low like 0.02 but, after 
about 2 minutes it becomes 1.00 and as long as the system is idle it 
stays at 1.00. If the system is not idle it would go up to like 1.21 but 
eventually come down  to 1.00 but NEVER goes below 1.

There is no application running on the system. Only the busybox. Top 
shows all processes sleeping.

this is the version of kernel
Linux version 2.6.10_dev-malta-mips2_fp_len (gcc version 3.4.6)

Is there something holding the processor continuously? does anyone have 
any idea whats going on?.

 I need to figure this one out before I start my application on it!.

Thanks a lot

manjee

Re: Load Average >=1, mips kernel 2.6.10

[Ralf Baechle]

On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 01:51:29PM -0600, Mandeep Ahuja wrote:

> I have an embedded system thats has mips processor. I recently updated  
> to Kernel 2.6.10 from 2.4.17.
> I was able to run the kernel and mount the jffs2 file system.
>
> When the system starts the load average is low like 0.02 but, after  
> about 2 minutes it becomes 1.00 and as long as the system is idle it  
> stays at 1.00. If the system is not idle it would go up to like 1.21 but  
> eventually come down  to 1.00 but NEVER goes below 1.
>
> There is no application running on the system. Only the busybox. Top  
> shows all processes sleeping.
>
> this is the version of kernel
> Linux version 2.6.10_dev-malta-mips2_fp_len (gcc version 3.4.6)
>
> Is there something holding the processor continuously? does anyone have  
> any idea whats going on?.
>
> I need to figure this one out before I start my application on it!.

Usually the reason would be something like a process stuck in
noninterruptible sleep state.  That's status "D" in the ps output.  Such
a process can't be killed and generally if a process is in this state for
extended time this would be considered a bug.

  Ralf

Re: Load Average >=1, mips kernel 2.6.10

[Mandeep Ahuja]

Here is what my command line shows

Thanks for the reply...
here is what the telnet session shows

# uptime
 19:45:38 up  2:45, load average: 1.00, 1.00, 0.94
# ps
  PID  Uid     VmSize Stat Command
    1 root        372 S   init      
    2 root            SW  [ksoftirqd/0]
    3 root            SW< [desched/0]
    4 root            SW< [events/0]
    5 root            SW< [khelper]
    6 root            SW< [kthread]
    7 root            SW< [kblockd/0]
    8 root            SW  [pdflush]
    9 root            SW  [pdflush]
   11 root            SW< [aio/0]
   10 root            SW  [kswapd0]
   13 root            SW  [mtdblockd]
   12 root            SW  [kseriod]
   14 root            SW< [IRQ 8]
   15 root            SWN [jffs2_gcd_mtd0]
   16 root            SW< [IRQ 15]
   56 root            SW< [IRQ 35]
   62 root        392 S   udhcpc -n -p /var/run/udhcpc.esw0.pid -i esw0
   68 root        364 S   /sbin/syslogd -n -m 0
   69 root        336 S   /sbin/klogd -n
   70 root        492 S   -sh
   76 root        316 S   telnetd
   99 root            SW< [IRQ 45]
  108 root        548 S   -sh
  189 root        552 S   -sh
  217 root        376 R   ps
# top
Mem: 5808K used, 8652K free, 0K shrd, 0K buff, 1364K cached
Load average: 1.00 1.00 0.94  (Status: S=sleeping R=running, W=waiting)
  PID USER     STATUS   RSS  PPID %CPU %MEM COMMAND
  220 root     R        388   189  1.9  2.6 top
  189 root     S        552    76  0.0  3.8 sh
  108 root     S        548    76  0.0  3.7 sh
   70 root     S        492     1  0.0  3.3 sh
   62 root     S        392     1  0.0  2.6 udhcpc
    1 root     S        372     0  0.0  2.5 init
   68 root     S        364     1  0.0  2.5 syslogd
   69 root     S        336     1  0.0  2.3 klogd
   76 root     S        316     1  0.0  2.1 telnetd
    2 root     SW         0     1  0.0  0.0 ksoftirqd/0
   15 root     SWN        0     1  0.0  0.0 jffs2_gcd_mtd0
    3 root     SW<        0     1  0.0  0.0 desched/0
   11 root     SW<        0     6  0.0  0.0 aio/0
    4 root     SW<        0     1  0.0  0.0 events/0
   14 root     SW<        0     6  0.0  0.0 IRQ 8
   16 root     SW<        0     6  0.0  0.0 IRQ 15
   56 root     SW<        0     6  0.0  0.0 IRQ 35
    5 root     SW<        0     1  0.0  0.0 khelper
    6 root     SW<        0     1  0.0  0.0 kthread
    7 root     SW<        0     6  0.0  0.0 kblockd/0
    8 root     SW         0     6  0.0  0.0 pdflush

There are no 'D' threads. What bothers me is that it slowly creeps up to 
1.00 when the system starts or resets..so there is something going on...

i would appreciate any help or insights...

regards
manjee

Ralf Baechle wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 01:51:29PM -0600, Mandeep Ahuja wrote:
>
>   
>> I have an embedded system thats has mips processor. I recently updated  
>> to Kernel 2.6.10 from 2.4.17.
>> I was able to run the kernel and mount the jffs2 file system.
>>
>> When the system starts the load average is low like 0.02 but, after  
>> about 2 minutes it becomes 1.00 and as long as the system is idle it  
>> stays at 1.00. If the system is not idle it would go up to like 1.21 but  
>> eventually come down  to 1.00 but NEVER goes below 1.
>>
>> There is no application running on the system. Only the busybox. Top  
>> shows all processes sleeping.
>>
>> this is the version of kernel
>> Linux version 2.6.10_dev-malta-mips2_fp_len (gcc version 3.4.6)
>>
>> Is there something holding the processor continuously? does anyone have  
>> any idea whats going on?.
>>
>> I need to figure this one out before I start my application on it!.
>>     
>
> Usually the reason would be something like a process stuck in
> noninterruptible sleep state.  That's status "D" in the ps output.  Such
> a process can't be killed and generally if a process is in this state for
> extended time this would be considered a bug.
>
>   Ralf
>
>
>