Table Of Contents

Defining Memory Threshold Notifications

Contents

Information About Memory Threshold Notifications

Memory Threshold Notifications

Memory Reservation

How to Define Memory Threshold Notifications

Setting a Low Free Memory Threshold

Reserving Memory for Critical Notifications

Configuration Examples for Memory Threshold Notifications

Setting a Low Free Memory Threshold: Examples

Reserving Memory for Critical Notifications: Example

Additional References

Related Documents

Standards

MIBs

RFCs

Technical Assistance

Command Reference

Defining Memory Threshold Notifications

---

First Published: August 21, 2003

Last Updated: May 2, 2008

The Memory Threshold Notifications feature allows you to reserve memory for critical notifications and to configure a router to issue notifications when available memory falls below a specified threshold.

Release	Modification
12.2(18)S	This feature was introduced.
12.0(26)S	This feature was integrated into Cisco IOS Release 12.0(26) S.
12.3(4)T	This feature was integrated into Cisco IOS Release 12.3(4)T.

Feature History for the Memory Threshold Notifications Feature

Finding Support Information for Platforms and Cisco IOS Software Images

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco IOS software image support. Access Cisco Feature Navigator at http://www.cisco.com/go/fn. You must have an account on Cisco.com. If you do not have an account or have forgotten your username or password, click Cancel at the login dialog box and follow the instructions that appear.

Contents

•Information About Memory Threshold Notifications

•How to Define Memory Threshold Notifications

•Configuration Examples for Memory Threshold Notifications

•Additional References

•Command Reference

Information About Memory Threshold Notifications

The Memory Threshold Notifications feature provides two ways to mitigate low-memory conditions on a router: notifications can be sent to indicate that free memory has fallen below a configured threshold, and memory can be reserved to ensure that sufficient memory is available to issue critical notifications. To implement the Memory Threshold Notifications feature, you should understand the following concepts:

•Memory Threshold Notifications

•Memory Reservation

Memory Threshold Notifications

Notifications are messages issued by the router. When you specify a memory threshold using the memory free low-watermark command, for example, the router issues a notification when available free memory falls below the specified threshold, and again once available free memory rises to 5 percent above the specified threshold. The following are examples of memory threshold notifications:

Available Free Memory Less Than the Specified Threshold

000029: *Aug 12 22:31:19.559: %SYS-4-FREEMEMLOW: Free Memory has dropped below 2000k

Pool: Processor  Free: 66814056  freemem_lwm: 204800000

Available Free Memory Recovered to More Than the Specified Threshold

000032: *Aug 12 22:33:29.411: %SYS-5-FREEMEMRECOVER: Free Memory has recovered 2000k

Pool: Processor  Free: 66813960  freemem_lwm: 0

Memory Reservation

Memory reservation for critical operations ensures that management processes, such as event logging, continue to function even when router memory is exhausted.

How to Define Memory Threshold Notifications

This section contains the following procedures:

•Setting a Low Free Memory Threshold

•Reserving Memory for Critical Notifications

Setting a Low Free Memory Threshold

To set a low free memory threshold, perform the following steps:

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable

2. configure terminal

3. memory free low-watermark {processor threshold | io threshold}

DETAILED STEPS

	Command or Action	Purpose
Step 1	enable Example: Router> enable	Enables privileged EXEC mode. •Enter your password if prompted.
Step 2	configure terminal Example: Router# configure terminal	Enters global configuration mode.
Step 3	memory free low-watermark processor threshold or memory free low-watermark io threshold Example: Router(config)# memory free low-watermark processor 20000 or Example: Router(config)# memory free low-watermark io 20000	Specifies a threshold in kilobytes of free processor or input/output (I/O) memory. To view acceptable values for the memory threshold, enter the following command: •memory free low-watermark processor ? or •memory free low-watermark io ?

Reserving Memory for Critical Notifications

When a router is overloaded by processes, the amount of available memory might fall to levels insufficient for it to issue critical notifications. To reserve a region of memory to be used by the router for the issuing of critical notifications, perform the following steps:

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable

2. configure terminal

3. memory reserve critical kilobytes

DETAILED STEPS

	Command or Action	Purpose
Step 1	enable Example: Router> enable	Enables privileged EXEC mode. •Enter your password if prompted.
Step 2	configure terminal Example: Router# configure terminal	Enters global configuration mode.
Step 3	memory reserve critical kilobytes Example: Router(config)# memory reserve critical 1000	Reserves the specified amount of memory in kilobytes so that the router can issue critical notifications. •The amount of memory reserved for critical notifications cannot exceed 25 percent of total available memory.

Configuration Examples for Memory Threshold Notifications

The following examples show how to configure a router to issue notifications when available memory falls below a specified threshold and how to reserve memory for critical notifications:

•Setting a Low Free Memory Threshold: Examples

•Reserving Memory for Critical Notifications: Example

Setting a Low Free Memory Threshold: Examples

The following example specifies a threshold of 20000 KB of free processor memory before the router issues notifications:

Threshold for Free Processor Memory

Router(config)# memory free low-watermark processor 20000

The following example specifies a threshold of 20000 KB of free I/O memory before the router issues notifications:

Threshold for Free IO Memory

Router(config)# memory free low-watermark io 20000

If available free memory falls below the specified threshold, the router sends a notification message like this one:

000029: *Aug 12 22:31:19.559: %SYS-4-FREEMEMLOW: Free Memory has dropped below 20000k

Pool: Processor  Free: 66814056  freemem_lwm: 204800000

Once available free memory rises to above 5 percent of the threshold, another notification message like this is sent:

000032: *Aug 12 22:33:29.411: %SYS-5-FREEMEMRECOVER: Free Memory has recovered 20000k

Pool: Processor  Free: 66813960  freemem_lwm: 0

Reserving Memory for Critical Notifications: Example

The following example reserves 1000 KB of memory for critical notifications:

Router# memory reserved critical 1000

---

Note The amount of memory reserved for critical notifications cannot exceed 25 percent of total available memory.

---

Additional References

The following sections provide references related to the Memory Threshold Notifications feature:

Related Documents

Related Topic	Document Title
Logging system messages	Troubleshooting and Fault Management module

Standards

Standards	Title
No new or modified standards are supported by this feature and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature.	—

MIBs

MIBs	MIBs Link
No new or modified MIBs are supported by this feature and support for existing MIBs has not been modified by this feature.	To locate and download MIBs for selected platforms, Cisco IOS releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/go/mibs

RFCs

RFCs	Title
No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature and support for existing RFCs has not been modified by this feature.	—

Technical Assistance

Description

Link

The Cisco Support website provides extensive online resources, including documentation and tools for troubleshooting and resolving technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. To receive security and technical information about your products, you can subscribe to various services, such as the Product Alert Tool (accessed from Field Notices), the Cisco Technical Services Newsletter, and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password.

http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

Command Reference

The following commands are introduced or modified in the feature or features documented in this module. For information about these commands, see the Cisco IOS Network Management Command Reference at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/netmgmt/command/reference/nm_book.html. For information about all Cisco IOS commands, go to the Command Lookup Tool at http://tools.cisco.com/Support/CLILookup or to the Cisco IOS Master Commands List.

•memory free low-watermark

•memory reserve critical

CCDE, CCENT, Cisco Eos, Cisco Lumin, Cisco Nexus, Cisco StadiumVision, Cisco TelePresence, Cisco WebEx, the Cisco logo, DCE, and Welcome to the Human Network are trademarks; Changing the Way We Work, Live, Play, and Learn and Cisco Store are service marks; and Access Registrar, Aironet, AsyncOS, Bringing the Meeting To You, Catalyst, CCDA, CCDP, CCIE, CCIP, CCNA, CCNP, CCSP, CCVP, Cisco, the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert logo, Cisco IOS, Cisco Press, Cisco Systems, Cisco Systems Capital, the Cisco Systems logo, Cisco Unity, Collaboration Without Limitation, EtherFast, EtherSwitch, Event Center, Fast Step, Follow Me Browsing, FormShare, GigaDrive, HomeLink, Internet Quotient, IOS, iPhone, iQuick Study, IronPort, the IronPort logo, LightStream, Linksys, MediaTone, MeetingPlace, MeetingPlace Chime Sound, MGX, Networkers, Networking Academy, Network Registrar, PCNow, PIX, PowerPanels, ProConnect, ScriptShare, SenderBase, SMARTnet, Spectrum Expert, StackWise, The Fastest Way to Increase Your Internet Quotient, TransPath, WebEx, and the WebEx logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries.

All other trademarks mentioned in this document or website are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (0809R)

Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses. Any examples, command display output, and figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.

© 2003-2008 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.