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“Too Many Open Files” Error in MongoDB

by | Feb 14, 2025

Learn how to fix the “Too Many Open Files” error in MongoDB. Our MongoDB Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

“Too Many Open Files” Error in MongoDB

MongoDB’s “Too Many Open Files” error is a critical system-level issue. It can severely disrupt database operations.

According to our Experts, this error occurs when MongoDB exceeds the maximum number of file descriptors allowed by the operating system, often manifesting as an `errno:24` error.

When this happens, MongoDB struggles to open new files or establish new client connections, leading to performance degradation and potential service failures.

Impacts of the Error

  • MongoDB fails to open new files or establish database connections.
  • New client connections are rejected due to the system’s file descriptor limitations.
  • Replica set operations may be interrupted, leading to inconsistencies in data replication.
  • In severe cases, MongoDB may crash, causing downtime and data availability issues.

Causes and Fixes

1. Insufficient File Descriptor Limits

The operating system’s default file descriptor limit is too low for MongoDB’s workload.

Click here for the Solution.
  1. Diagnostic Check:


    # Check current file descriptor limits
    ulimit -n
    cat /proc/sys/fs/file-max

  2. Temporary Immediate Fix:


    # Increase file descriptor limit for current session
    sudo ulimit -n 102400

  3. Permanent System Configuration:

    Edit `/etc/security/limits.conf`:
    sudo nano /etc/security/limits.conf
    Then, add the following lines:


    * soft nofile 102400
    * hard nofile 102400

  4. Systemd Service Configuration:

    Edit MongoDB service file:

    sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/mongodb.service

    Then, add the following under `[Service]`:


    LimitNOFILE=infinity
    LimitNPROC=infinity

    After that, reload and restart MongoDB:


    sudo systemctl daemon-reload
    sudo systemctl restart mongodb

2. Large Complex Queries

Extensive aggregation pipelines and complex queries consume excessive file descriptors.

Click here for the Solution.
  1. Optimize queries by breaking large pipelines into smaller stages.
  2. Use indexing to speed up query execution.
  3. Reduce query complexity and scope.

Here are some optimization techniques:

  • Query Redesign
    1. Use `$match` early in the pipeline to minimize dataset size.
    2. Implement pagination to reduce the dataset per query.
  • Indexing Strategy


    // Create compound indexes
    db.collection.createIndex({ field1: 1, field2: -1 })

  • Query Performance Monitoring
    1. Use `explain()` to analyze query execution plans.
    2. Set query timeouts to prevent resource exhaustion.

3. Inefficient Connection Management

Poor connection pooling and improper handling of open connections.

Click here for the Solution.
  1. Implement proper connection pooling.
  2. Explicitly close database connections after use.


    # Connection Pooling Example (Python)
    ```python
    from pymongo import MongoClient
    client = MongoClient(
    host='localhost',
    port=27017,
    maxPoolSize=100, # Maximum connection pool size
    minPoolSize=10, # Minimum maintained connections
    maxIdleTimeMS=30000 # Connection idle timeout
    )

    Best Practices:

    1. Always close database connections explicitly.
    2. Use connection retry mechanisms.
    3. Configure appropriate timeouts.

4. WiredTiger Storage Engine Overhead

WiredTiger requires multiple file descriptors to manage its internal files.

Click here for the Solution.
  1. Increase `net.maxIncomingConnections` in MongoDB.
  2. Properly configure WiredTiger’s cache size.

We can adjust MongoDB Configuration by editing `mongod.conf`:


storage:
wiredTiger:
engineConfig:
cacheSizeGB: 4
statisticsLogDelaySecs: 0
net:
maxIncomingConnections: 65536

We can finetune performance with these steps:

  • Monitor cache hit rates.
  • Use SSD storage for better I/O performance.

5. Backup and Restore Operations

Backup operations can open a large number of files, consuming file descriptors.

Click here for the Solution.
  • Use sequential backups to minimize open file count.
  • Configure backup agents with proper file limits.

Here is a backup strategy:

  • Sequential backup approach:

    mongodump --db=myDatabase --out=/backup/path –numParallelCollections=4

  • Backup Optimization
    • Implement incremental backups.
    • Use compression to reduce storage space.
    • Schedule backups during low-traffic periods.

6. Replica Set Synchronization

Initial sync processes require opening multiple files simultaneously.

Click here for the Solution.
  • Increase file descriptor limits for replica set nodes.
  • Optimize initial sync configurations.
  • Replica Set Configuration

    Edit `mongodb.conf`:

    replication:
    oplogSizeMB: 10240
    syncPeriodSecs: 60

  • Performance Monitoring
    • Use MongoDB monitoring tools to track replication lag.
    • Implement error handling for failed synchronizations.

7. System Resource Constraints

Limited hardware resources prevent sufficient file descriptor allocation.

Click here for the Solution.
  • Upgrade hardware to meet database demands.
  • Optimize system-level configurations.

Recommended Hardware:

  • Enterprise-grade SSDs for fast I/O.
  • Minimum 16GB RAM for large workloads.
  • Multi-core CPU for parallel query execution.

System Configuration Optimization:


# Increase max open files
sudo sysctl -w fs.file-max=2097152
# Reduce swap usage for better performance
sudo sysctl -w vm.swappiness=10

Prevention Strategies

  • Regularly check file descriptor usage.
  • Set up alerts for approaching file descriptor limits.
  • Monitor system resources in real-time.
  • Set appropriate `ulimit` values.
  • Optimize connection pooling and indexing strategies.
  • Periodically review and adjust MongoDB configurations.
  • Implement efficient query designs to reduce resource usage.

[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

The “Too Many Open Files” error in MongoDB can be a severe issue, but it can be effectively solved with the right configurations and best practices.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to fix MongoDB’s “Too Many Open Files” error.

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