[Dovecot] Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files

[Chris Wakelin]

Probably the master process has run out of file descriptors. You need a
couple for every imap process.

Try "plimit -n 4096 <master pid>" or similar or modify the defaults in
/etc/system:-

set rlim_fd_cur=4096
set rlim_fd_max=4096

You might also want the imap processes to continue in this case, in
which case set "shutdown_clients = no" in dovecot.conf.

Hope this helps,
Chris

Dirk Essl wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I am currently migrating a big bunch of mail accounts to a dovecot
> server running 1.0rc2 on Solaris 10
> 
> suddenly all imap processes died and I see this in my dovecot.log:
> 
> 
> dovecot: Sep 26 14:54:31 Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files
> dovecot: Sep 26 14:54:31 Fatal: dup2(stderr) failed: Bad file number
> dovecot: Sep 26 14:54:31 Error: child 29376 (imap) returned error 89
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:48 Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:48 Fatal: dup2(stderr) failed: Bad file number
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:49 Error: child 1563 (imap) returned error 89
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:55 Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:55 Fatal: dup2(stderr) failed: Bad file number
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:55 Error: child 1572 (imap) returned error 89
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:58 Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:58 Fatal: dup2(stderr) failed: Bad file number
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:15:58 Error: child 1577 (imap) returned error 89
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:25 Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:25 Fatal: dup2(stderr) failed: Bad file number
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:25 Error: child 1659 (imap) returned error 89
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:27 Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:27 Fatal: dup2(stderr) failed: Bad file number
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:27 Error: child 1662 (imap) returned error 89
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:32 Error: socketpair() failed: Too many open files
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:32 Error: Temporary failure in creating login
> processes, slowing down for now
> dovecot: Sep 26 15:18:32 Error: pipe() failed: Too many open files
> 
> what could cause the error? is this from Solaris or from dovecot?
> 
> TIA
> dirk

-- 
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Christopher Wakelin,                           c.d.wakelin at reading.ac.uk
IT Services Centre, The University of Reading,  Tel: +44 (0)118 378 8439
Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 2AF, UK              Fax: +44 (0)118 975 3094