Error: redis warning overcommit_memory is set to 0

Solution

What's Causing This Error

The 'redis warning overcommit_memory is set to 0' error message indicates that the kernel parameter "vm.overcommit_memory" for the Redis server is set to 0. This parameter determines whether the system allows memory allocation beyond physical RAM and swap space. When it is set to 0, which is the default value, it means that the kernel will check if there is enough total memory (RAM + swap) before allowing a memory allocation request. If not, the allocation request will fail with an out-of-memory error.

Redis highly relies on memory usage. Therefore, setting "vm.overcommit_memory" to 0 can lead to inefficient use of system memory and even cause Redis to crash due to insufficient memory. Thus, it is critical to ensure that the value of "vm.overcommit_memory" is configured appropriately to allow Redis to function correctly.

## Solution - Here's How To Resolve It

To resolve this issue, you need to set "vm.overcommit_memory" to 1. Configuring overcommit_memory to 1 instructs Linux to be more lenient and optimistic when performing expensive operations such as Fork (creating a child process that is an exact copy of the parent), which is particularly beneficial and recommended for Redis.

You can configure "vm.overcommit_memory" by modifying the sysctl.conf file or by running the command 'sysctl vm.overcommit_memory=1'. Once you have made the changes, consider restarting Redis to ensure that it uses the updated kernel configuration.