Debian Server becomes unresponsive
 

I have a Debian 6.0.5 server running Icinga 1.6.1 (Nagios fork) for monitoring our data center. I'm running Apache and MySQL from the repositories and Icinga was compiled from source. After the server has been running for a few days, it stops responding to anything I try to do. It continues running Icinga without any problems, however if I try to launch the CLI, open a config file, launch the Web browser, or open a program I get a spinning wheel at the cursor for about 10 seconds and then nothing happens. The only way I have been able to get the server responding again is to reboot it.

Has anyone heard of this happening with Debian? Can anyone point me in the right direction to troubleshoot this problem? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

What do you mean by "launch the CLI"? Are you able to bring up a console using Ctrl + Alt + F2, for instance?

A server, and certainly a production machine, should not have the X Window System installed, unless there is a very good reason for it, you understand the risks it imposes and you've taken security steps to prevent an attacker taking control of this machine. Use Webmin to remotely, and securely, administer this server, with official certificates you should have in place as a commercial enterprise.

As for the reason for getting unresponsive, look in the log files (that's why they're there ;)), starting with /var/log/messages :)

I didn't try Ctrl + Alt + F2, I used the gnome menu. I will try the keystroke tomorrow morning when I get in to work.

I personally didn't want the X window system installed, but management was uncomfortable with me setting it up without a GUI as they do not know Linux. I am not sure what difference it makes, as they wouldn't know what to do in the GUI and everything I am doing with Icinga is being done in the shell anyway, but that was their requirement. With Webmin and SSH, I might be able to remove Gnome.

Thanks for pointing out which log file to start with. I have never had to use log files to troubleshoot Linux systems. So far my issues have been fairly basic and I was able to either isolate my problems in the CLI or post questions here to get help. Tomorrow I will hit the logs and see where it points me.

Thanks guys for the help, I will follow up with how it goes.

Well, a good manager trusts his workers he (or the company he works for) has entrusted with responsibilities to execute these responsibly and in line with the guidelines the company has set out for that particular position in the organisation. In short: a manager's only task is to help his/her workers to do their jobs on the work floor, not hindering them... ;)

I couldn't agree more!