Docker container is Exhausting the memory of my Ec2 instance. How to prevent it?

Hi,

First thing to do is to limit the memory consumable by your Docker image while running: see https://phoenixnap.com/kb/docker-memory-and-cpu-limit

That will allow you to still connect to the machine while memory consumption increases. You will be able to understand the increasing use of memory by going to system logs and check for issues.

You may want to start by making sure that your EC2 instance is using the most recent AL2023 version and that you install also the most recent version of Docker on top.

BTW, to make things comparable, you have to pull the container from same image registry in both use cases.

Best,

Didier

The high memory usage on your t2.xlarge spot instance in the Oregon region could be due to a few reasons:

1. Resource Allocation: The container may be consuming more memory on the EC2 instance compared to your local system, due to differences in underlying hardware and configurations. Since you're using a t2 instance, which is a burstable instance type with older generation Intel CPUs, the performance may not be on par with your local workstation.

2. Memory Leaks: There could be a memory leak in your application or the Docker container, causing it to gradually consume more memory over time.

3. Docker Resource Limits: Ensure the container's resource limits (memory, CPU) are properly configured to avoid over-consumption.

To troubleshoot:

1. Monitor the container's resource usage using docker stats or CloudWatch.
2. Adjust the container's resource limits.
3. Investigate potential memory leaks using tools like top or htop. If you notice that the memory usage keeps increasing over time, it could indicate a memory leak in your application or the container itself. Investigate the cause of the memory leak and try to fix it.
4. Compare the environment configurations between your local system and the EC2 instance.
5. Optimize your application's resource usage.
6. Consider using a newer generation EC2 instance type, such as a memory-optimized instance with the latest Intel CPU like the m7i-flex (for example - more availible sizes here), for better performance and resource utilization.

By addressing these potential issues and leveraging a more suitable EC2 instance type, you should be able to resolve the high memory usage on your EC2 instance.

Hello,

To prevent Docker containers from exhausting memory on your EC2 instance:

1. Set Memory Limits: Use the '-m' * or * '--memory' flag to set a memory limit for the container. For example:

docker run -m 4g blender

2. Use Docker Compose: Define memory limits in your docker-compose.yml file to manage multiple services. For example:

version: '3'
services:
  blender:
    image: my-image
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          memory: 4G

3. Monitor Memory Usage: Regularly monitor memory usage with docker stats or Docker Desktop's built-in monitoring tools to detect any abnormal behavior.

4. Optimize Container Configuration: Review and optimize your container’s configuration and the application inside it to improve memory efficiency.

5. Upgrade EC2 Instance: If memory limits are exceeded despite these measures, consider upgrading to an EC2 instance with more memory.

Additionally, investigate the root cause of high memory usage to address any underlying issues and prevent future problems.