SYN flood = VFS: No free inodes - contact Linus?

Liem Bahneman (roland@cobaltgroup.com)
Thu, 12 Mar 1998 16:19:39 -0800 (PST)


We've got a beefy server here that's crashed twice today. I dont know what
the cause of the crash, but syslog reported "VFS: No free inodes - contact
Linus" then a mix of SYN cookie warnings and inode warnings.

Specs:
ALR revolution 6x6 (6x ppro200)
2.0.30
tulip.c 0.77 (only one stable with smp, locked in at 100bT/FD)
DPT 3334UW controller
BusLogic BT-950

syn/rst cookies on
always defrag
filehandles patch
ip_fragment.c patch (alan cox's and mount's)

It looks like the VFS error came first, then the spew of SYN warnings and
more VFS errors. Is this a problem with the filesyste? syn/rst cookies?

This system hosts ~3500 web sites and has _800_ ip aliases, so its a
regular target of attacks (any one of 800 ips), but this is the most nasty
crash it has experienced. This specific crash has happened twice in a
month.

Any ideas what could be going on?

I'm not a subscriber to this list, so please respond directly

- liem
============================================================================
Liem Bahneman roland@cobaltgroup.com
Senior Systems Administrator http://www.cobaltgroup.com/~roland
The Cobalt Group (206) 269-6363 x300
Seattle, Washington F(206) 269-6350

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