Session Border Controller Fails Over Due to SPL Plugin Causing High Memory Usage

Asset ID:	1-71-2204516.1
Update Date:	2017-05-17
Keywords:

Solution Type Technical Instruction Sure

Solution 2204516.1 : Session Border Controller Fails Over Due to SPL Plugin Causing High Memory Usage

Applies to:

Acme Packet 4500 - Version E-Cx6.4.0 to E-Cz7.3.0 [Release E-Cx6.0 to E-Cz7.0]
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Goal

Session Border Controller fails over due to health score dropping below unacceptable value. Review of the acmelog shows that prior to the failover, the log filled with the following example entries:

Aug 24 12:01:06.427 sipd@besbc45002: MINOR -- /ramdrv/spl/MediaPlayback/MediaPlayback.lua:86: attempt to index local 'msg' (a nil value)

before finally failing over due to high memory usage:

Aug 24 12:06:52.946 brokerd@besbc45002: CRITICAL ALARM[0002001c] Task[063752f4] memory usage 90 percent is over threshold 90 percent
Aug 24 12:06:53.005 berpd@besbc45002: CRITICAL ALARM[00020021] Task[293fbcf8] Switchover, Active to RelinquishingActive

Aug 24 12:06:58.113 brokerd@besbc45002: MAJOR ALARM[0002001d] Task[063752f4] health score is at 25 (under threshold of 60)
Aug 24 12:07:03.280 brokerd@besbc45002: MINOR ALARM[0002001b] Task[063752f4] cpu usage 99 percent is over threshold 90 percent.

How do I stop this from happening again ?

Solution

High memory usage with the SPL plugins, is a known issue, tracked under the following defect:

> Defect 20225082 - SPL session table data is not retrievable causing plugins to not work.

This bug is resolved in ECX640m5p2 and 7.3.
Oracle recommends that users upgrade to 7.3.x rather than upgrade 640m5p2 as 640 is no longer covered under Premier Support.

NOTE: Users not actively using this plugin may try to workaround this issue by disabling the plugin as follows from the ACLI "configure terminal":

spl-config -> spl-options -> plugins
state disabled
name MediaPlayback.1.1.spl

It will be necessary to reboot the SBC to activate this change.

References

<BUG:20225082> - SPL SESSION TABLE DATA IS NOT RETRIEVABLE CAUSING PLUGINS TO NOT WORK
<NOTE:1591859.1> - Understanding CPU Usage and Session Data Statistics from log.sipd
<NOTE:1591900.1> - High CPU Spiking Checklist

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