Oracle Linux: sysctl Command Hangs While Increasing Hugepages

Applies To:
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Symptom:

The sysctl command hangs when attempting to increase the number of hugepages.

Cause:

The system's memory has become fragmented over time, making it difficult to allocate the required contiguous memory blocks for hugepages.
This fragmentation prevents the system from allocating enough memory to fulfill the request for increased hugepages.

Solution:

We recommend changing the hugepages configuration in the /etc/sysctl.conf file and then performing a reboot, rather than trying to increase hugepages at runtime.