How to Increase vm.max_map_count on a Plesk for Linux Server
Some applications (for example, Elasticsearch) need more memory map areas than the Linux default allows. To support them on a Plesk for Linux server, you need to increase the ‘vm.max_map_count’ value. This guide shows you how.
1. Connect to the server
1. Use SSH to log in to your server as the root user (or a user with sudo access).
2. If you cannot access SSH, contact your server administrator.
2. Check the current value
Run this command to see the current value:
sysctl vm.max_map_count
The default value is usually 65530.
3. Increase vm.max_map_count temporarily
Run this command to change the value right away:
sysctl -w vm.max_map_count=655300
Or use this command instead:
echo 655300 > /proc/sys/vm/max_map_count
Note: This change is lost when the server is rebooted. To keep it, follow the next step.
4. Make the change permanent
1. Open the ‘/etc/sysctl.conf‘ file with a text editor, for example:
nano /etc/sysctl.conf
2. Add this line at the end of the file:
vm.max_map_count=655300
3. Save and close the file.
5. Apply the changes
Run this command to load the settings from the file:
sysctl -p
6. Verify the change
Run this command to confirm the new value is active:
sysctl vm.max_map_count
The output should show: vm.max_map_count = 655300
Note: If your server uses container virtualization (such as OpenVZ or Virtuozzo), apply these steps on the hardware node (host server), not inside the container.
Additional information
1. ‘vm.max_map_count’ sets the maximum number of memory map areas a single process can use.
2. The default value is 65530, but some applications need a higher value.
3. The ‘/etc/sysctl.conf’ file stores system settings so they are applied again after every reboot.
This is how you can increase vm.max_map_count on a Plesk for Linux server.
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