> Source: [sk113017](https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk113017)

# sk113017 - SmartLog process repeatedly crashes with core dump files because $SMARTLOGDIR/data/ contains 32000 subdirectories

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Solution ID | sk113017 |
| Date Created | 2016-08-30 |
| Last Modified | 2019-10-28 |
| Technical Level | Advanced |
| Products | Logging & Status |
| Versions | R82.10, R81.20, R82 |

## Symptoms

- * Output of "`cpwd_admin list`" command shows the state "`T`" for process `SMARTLOG_SERVER` (i.e., terminated).

* Output of "`ls -lL $SMARTLOGDIR/data | grep total`" command shows:  

  total **32000**

* Output of "`mkdir $SMARTLOGDIR/data/TEST`" command shows:  

  ``mkdir: cannot create directory `TEST': Too many links``

* Output of "`df -kh`" command shows that there is enough free disk space.

* The SmartLog object is configured to delete index files older than XXX days (open the object's properties - go to "`Logs`" - "`Storage`"). This limit has not been reached yet.

* `$SMARTLOGDIR/log/smartlog_server.elg` file shows that the `smartlog_server` process is crashing when it is trying to process the `fw.log` file.

## Cause

Linux *ext2* and *ext3* file systems have a limitation of 32000 subdirectories in a single directory.

Once this limit was reached in the *$SMARTLOGDIR/data* directory, the SmartLog can not create any additional subdirectories in that directory.

Note: If you run the following command to count the number of directories in *$SMARTLOGDIR/data* directory, output may show 32002 directories:

`# find $SMARTLOGDIR/data/ -maxdepth 1 -type d | wc -l`

This is due to the fact that every directory has 2 automatic pointers to itself (symbolized as . when you look at the content) and to its parent directory (symbolized as ..)

This is why when a directory is full, you may see 32002 subdirectories.

## Solution

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