Maxmemoryrestart

Maxmemoryrestart is a configurable memory-management policy used in certain software environments to automatically restart a service or process when its memory usage crosses a defined threshold. It is distinct from eviction-based strategies, which trim or drop data to free memory while keeping the process running; maxmemoryrestart prefers to reset the operating context by restarting the affected component.

How it works: A monitor tracks memory metrics such as resident set size (RSS) or container memory usage. When usage exceeds a configured threshold for a sustained period, a supervisor issues a controlled restart. A cooldown period can be configured to avoid rapid restarts. Restart commands are platform-specific and may integrate with system managers like systemd, Kubernetes, or a custom supervisor.

Configuration basics typically include parameters such as memory_limit, restart_threshold (absolute value or percentage), cooldown duration, maximum restarts, and restart_action. Some implementations restart the entire process group, while others target individual workers. Persistence and state handling are critical to minimize data loss during restarts, especially for stateful services.

Use cases and trade-offs: Maxmemoryrestart is useful in environments with memory leaks or poorly bounded memory usage, as it can restore a healthier state after a fault. However, it introduces downtime and potential data loss on restart and may be unsuitable for latency-sensitive workloads unless paired with rapid recovery and robust state restoration.

Relation to related concepts: It differs from OOM-killer and container restart policies and is most aligned with broader process supervision and memory-usage policies. Observability relies on memory metrics, logs, and alerting. The term is not universally standardized and implementations vary across platforms.