Tracking file storage space use

[Michael Butash]

I would tend to think based on what you're saying you have log files
that are rampantly filling, and then logrotate kicks in, compresses, and
all of your space comes back.  See anything odd in in /var/log/messages
or daemon?  Just about anything misconfigured can cause rampant log
filling.  I had this with a wireless module bug recently in ubuntu
overrunning my /var partition with incessant log chatter.

Is it all one flat partition or do you separate out things
like /var /usr or ...?  If so, it should tell you pretty quickly with a
df -kh where data is collecting.  If it's monolithic, check /var/log
with ls -lahS /var and then /var/log.  I'll bet it's in there unless
you're using some kind of temp space elsewhere.  

This kind of thing is a good reason to split off certain file
hierarchies like /var, /var/log, and /usr/local where stuff tends to
collect and/or runneth over.  A full root with one monolithic partition
can make for a single-user mode bad day.

-mb


On Mon, 2009-07-06 at 09:01 -0700, Alan Dayley wrote:
> I have a server running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.  It's running very
> well but lately we have been running out of disk space on occasion.
> The truth is we need more storage and that solution is coming.  In the
> mean time, I need to figure out where all the space is being consumed.
> 
> Every once in a while I can see 3-5GB get consumed in about a day.
> Then, when I warn everyone we are running out, this space suddenly
> comes free.  I think a user is eating the space and then freeing it up
> when my warning goes out.  But none of the users will admit to this
> behavior.  That's not a big deal because, whether a user or not, I'd
> like to know what or who is eating this space and then releasing it.
> 
> The server is running SAMBA shares for /home and other directores,
> Bugzilla with MySQL on the database, TWiki, Subversion, CVS and ftp
> services.  Tracking each of these individually may be a bear.  I was
> thinking there may be a tool that tracks recent usage from the file
> system level.
> 
> What tools can I use to get a handle on this issue and increase my
> knowledge about disk usage?
> 
> Alan
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