Let's talk processes.

[javascrybe]

Hi. Slightly dumb question.

Is it normal for my server to have 11 httpd processes (I use Apache2), 3 mysqld processes, and 1 safe_mysqld processes running at the same time?

[mdwatts]

Yes it is.

Have a look in your httpd.conf for


#
# Number of servers to start initially --- should be a reasonable ballpark
# figure.
#
StartServers 5


I believe that controls the amount of processes.

It could also be other options in httpd.conf that control this.

[javascrybe]

Thanks, I missed that reviewing my httpd.conf file.

Any ideas if safe_mysqld is supposed to be running in addition of multiple instances of mysqld?

[mdwatts]

Sorry as I don't know.

I've only scratched the surface learning Apache at work.

Just not enough time to learn everything Linux related.

Anyone else know?

Again try the Apache docs either installed with the product, Apache's website or web (Google for Linux) searches.

[bwkaz]

That doesn't sound like an Apache process, actually. It sounds more like a MySQL process... is there anything in the MySQL documentation about how to set the number of threads or processes it uses?

[javascrybe]

Ooops ....sorry not clear here.

Yup, they're MySQL daemons running in the background. Since I suppose it is normal to have more than one, my only question left (to a MySQL-savvy guy!) is

"Is there supposed to be a mysql daemon safe process running alongside my other mysql processes?"

Any answer would be appreciated. For now thanks guys for the info: I didn't know there COULD be more than one instance of a server running (and I know lots of you are going "duh!"...;) )

[gleather]

If its anything like other dbms's, it has at least one thread for escape sequences. Since this is considered a "safety" feature, i'd guess that is what you have running.

[javascrybe]

That was exactly it. I found out when some friend told me about pstree , which is a wonderful command by the way. It gave me:

init-+-cron
|-6*[getty]
|-httpd---10*[httpd]
|-inetd
|-keventd
|-kflushd
|-klogd
|-kswapd
|-kupdate
|-lpd
|-portmap
|-rpc.statd
|-safe_mysqld---mysqld---mysqld---mysqld
|-sshd---sshd---sshd---bash---pstree
`-syslogd

Which indicates clearly that the MySQL daemons are child processes from safe_mysqld. Probably for the escape sequence, indeed.

Thanks!