Skip to content

Check file-descriptors

Overview

Checks the number of assigned file handles in percent. Also shows the top 5 processes that currently have the highest number of open file descriptors (not cumulative). Depending on the user (e.g. running as icinga), sudo (sudoers) is needed.

Fact Sheet

Fact Value
Check Plugin Download https://github.com/Linuxfabrik/monitoring-plugins/tree/main/check-plugins/file-descriptors
Check Interval Recommendation Once a minute
Can be called without parameters Yes
Compiled for Windows No
3rd Party Python modules psutil

Help

usage: file-descriptors [-h] [-V] [--always-ok] [-c CRIT] [--top TOP]
                        [-w WARN]

Checks the number of allocated file handles in percent.

options:
  -h, --help           show this help message and exit
  -V, --version        show program's version number and exit
  --always-ok          Always returns OK.
  -c, --critical CRIT  Set the critical threshold for file descriptor usage
                       (in percent). Default: 95
  --top TOP            List x "Top processes opening file descriptors".
                       Default: 5
  -w, --warning WARN   Set the warning threshold for file descriptor usage (in
                       percent). Default: 90

Usage Examples

./file-descriptors --warning 90 --critical 95

Output:

2.2% file descriptors used (2.1K/94.1K)

Top3 processes opening file descriptors:
1. mongod: 183 FD
2. master: 91 FD
3. mariadbd: 75 FD

States

  • WARN or CRIT if usage of file descriptors in % is above a given threshold.

Perfdata / Metrics

Name Type Description
fd Percentage Number of allocated file handles / number of system-wide maximum number of file handles * 100

Credits, License