PostgreSQL and the OOM Killer: Why We Use Strict Memory Overcommit

According to a blog post from Ubicloud, managing PostgreSQL's interaction with Linux's out-of-memory killer is trickier than it seems. When memory runs short, the kernel can unpredictably terminate processes—including your database—causing sudden outages. Ubicloud uses a counterintuitive solution: strict memory overcommit, which tells the system to always allow memory allocation upfront. This trades resource awareness for predictability, ensuring PostgreSQL doesn't get randomly killed when memory pressure spikes.

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