# Unknown mlockall error 0 **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [May 22, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811 "2012-05-22T19:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eric\_Jain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eric_jain/32/834_2.png) [@Eric\_Jain](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eric_Jain)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/1 "2012-05-22T19:33:47Z")
In my elasticsearch.yml I set: bootstrap.mlockall: true But on startup (elasticsearch 0.19.4) I see this message: [WARN][common.jna] Unknown mlockall error 0 My /etc/security/limits.conf (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) has this: elasticsearch - nofile 64000 elasticsearch - memlock unlimited Also I can see that: $ sudo -u elasticsearch /bin/sh -c ulimit -l unlimited Any ideas what else could preventing mlockall from working? ---
**Author:** ![Clinton\_Gormley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 8:58am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/2 "2012-05-23T08:58:03Z")
> My /etc/security/limits.conf (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) has this: > > elasticsearch - nofile 64000 > elasticsearch - memlock unlimited Try adding this line to /etc/pam.id/common-session: ``` session required pam_limits.so ``` ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Jain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eric_jain/32/834_2.png) [@Eric\_Jain](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eric_Jain)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/3 "2012-05-23T18:36:42Z")
On May 23, 1:58 am, Clinton Gormley [cl...@traveljury.com](mailto:cl...@traveljury.com) wrote: > > My /etc/security/limits.conf (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) has this: > > > elasticsearch - nofile 64000 > > elasticsearch - memlock unlimited > > Try adding this line to /etc/pam.id/common-session: > > ``` > session required pam_limits.so > > ``` Thanks; I added that line to /etc/pam.d/common-session, but still get the same warning when starting elasticsearch with "bootstrap.mlockall: true". I'm using OpenJDK (IcedTea6 1.11.1) (6b24-1.11.1-4ubuntu3), could that be an issue? ---
**Author:** ![James\_Carr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/james_carr/32/956_2.png) [@James\_Carr](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/James_Carr)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/4 "2013-11-15T12:49:27Z")
Eric did you ever get a solution to this? I'm having the same problem on ubuntu 13.04 with java 1.7.0\_25. :S On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 1:36:42 PM UTC-5, Eric Jain wrote: > On May 23, 1:58 am, Clinton Gormley [cl...@traveljury.com](mailto:cl...@traveljury.com) wrote: > > > > My /etc/security/limits.conf (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) has this: > > > > > elasticsearch - nofile 64000 > > > elasticsearch - memlock unlimited > > > > Try adding this line to /etc/pam.id/common-session: > > > > ``` > > session required pam_limits.so > > > > ``` > > Thanks; I added that line to /etc/pam.d/common-session, but still get > the same warning when starting elasticsearch with "bootstrap.mlockall: > true". > > I'm using OpenJDK (IcedTea6 1.11.1) (6b24-1.11.1-4ubuntu3), could that > be an issue? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Jain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eric_jain/32/834_2.png) [@Eric\_Jain](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eric_Jain)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/5 "2013-11-15T17:06:38Z")
On Fri, Nov 15, 2013 at 4:49 AM, James Carr [james.r.carr@gmail.com](mailto:james.r.carr@gmail.com) wrote: > Eric did you ever get a solution to this? I'm having the same problem on > ubuntu 13.04 with java 1.7.0\_25. :S No, still haven't got this to work. OpenJDK Runtime Environment (IcedTea 2.3.10) (7u25-2.3.10-1ubuntu0.12.04.2) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![jprante](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jprante/32/44941_2.png) [@jprante](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jprante)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/6 "2013-11-15T21:02:54Z")
That is not a JVM related problem. If there is enough free RAM on a 64-bit Linux/JVM environment, a setting of soft memlock unlimited hard memlock unlimited in /etc/security/limits.conf should work ( must logout and login of course). Jörg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Jain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eric_jain/32/834_2.png) [@Eric\_Jain](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eric_Jain)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/7 "2013-11-16T03:08:18Z")
On Fri, Nov 15, 2013 at 1:02 PM, [joergprante@gmail.com](mailto:joergprante@gmail.com) [joergprante@gmail.com](mailto:joergprante@gmail.com) wrote: > That is not a JVM related problem. > > If there is enough free RAM on a 64-bit Linux/JVM environment, a setting of > > soft memlock unlimited > hard memlock unlimited > > in /etc/security/limits.conf should work ( must logout and login of > course). That does not appear to be sufficient, at least not on Ubuntu (when running elasticsearch as a non-interactive user). Found a possible solution at [http://www.dctrwatson.com/2012/03/limits-conf-and-daemons-on-ubuntu/](http://www.dctrwatson.com/2012/03/limits-conf-and-daemons-on-ubuntu/), but am still getting the "unknown mlockall error 0" after updating the /etc/pam.d/common-session\* files... -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![jprante](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jprante/32/44941_2.png) [@jprante](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jprante)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/8 "2013-11-16T18:23:15Z")
Is the OS running in a virtual machine? Jörg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Jain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eric_jain/32/834_2.png) [@Eric\_Jain](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eric_Jain)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/9 "2013-11-16T18:33:04Z")
On Sat, Nov 16, 2013 at 10:23 AM, [joergprante@gmail.com](mailto:joergprante@gmail.com) [joergprante@gmail.com](mailto:joergprante@gmail.com) wrote: > Is the OS running in a virtual machine? Yes (ec2); but that shouldn't matter? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![jprante](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jprante/32/44941_2.png) [@jprante](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jprante)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/10 "2013-11-16T19:25:03Z")
I'm not familiar with EC2 to be honest, but afaik EC2 is equivalent to Xen virtualization. EC2 comes in two flavors: PVM or HVM (paravirtualized and hardware-virtualized VM). Only in HVM the hugepage feature can be enabled (which is what memlock=unlimited effectively activates). The hugepage Linux kernel feature is important for the mlockall() call since only these pages of 2M size can be pinned down to RAM. In PVM I am quite sure that hugepages kernel feature and mlockall() will not work at all, the host OS will steal pages whenever it likes. Jörg -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Jain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eric_jain/32/834_2.png) [@Eric\_Jain](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Eric_Jain)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/11 "2013-11-16T19:40:02Z")
On Sat, Nov 16, 2013 at 11:25 AM, [joergprante@gmail.com](mailto:joergprante@gmail.com) [joergprante@gmail.com](mailto:joergprante@gmail.com) wrote: > In PVM I am quite sure that hugepages kernel feature and mlockall() will not > work at all, the host OS will steal pages whenever it likes. My instances are indeed paravirtualized, no need chasing this goose then. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unknown-mlockall-error-0/7811/12 "2017-07-06T02:06:37Z")