Troubleshooting the "too many open files" error when updating the Search index

Attempt to update the IBM Connections Search index on Linux can result in the following error: CLFRW0034E: Error reading or writing to the index directory. Check permissions and capacity. java.io.FileNotFoundException: /opt/IBM/Connections/data/local/search/index/index_forums/_iu.fdt (Too many open files). This error means that users cannot search for content that is added to IBM Connections.

Temporary workaround

Restarting the Search service temporarily resolves this issue.

Diagnosing the problem

To see the current limits on the number of open files, log on to a shell as the user who updates the IBM Connections Search index and run the following command: ulimit -n

The default is 1024 open files.

The recommended limit is 8192 open files.

Resolve the problem

As the user who updates the IBM Connections Search index:

1. vi .bashrc

   .bashrc is in the user's home directory.

2. Add the line: ulimit -n 8192.

3. Save and exit file.

4. Set ulimit for the working current session, for example: ulimit -n 8192.

5. Confirm the new ulimit setting is in effect: ulimit -a.

Parent topic:
Troubleshoot Search