High CPU and Memory Usage on Apache Causing FileCloud Portal Inaccessibility

Original Question or Issue:

Apache HTTP Server was consuming more than 90% CPU and around 4GB of memory, causing the FileCloud portal to become inaccessible. The issue appeared around April 16, following recent Windows updates (including KB5082142).

Environment:

• Product - FileCloud Server
• Version - 23.253
• Platform - Any

Steps to Reproduce:

• Run FileCloud server with Apache HTTP Server enabled

• Configure Apache with a high number of worker threads (e.g., 300)

• Enable ModSecurity

• Apply recent Windows updates (e.g., KB5082142)

• Observe system resource usage over time

Error or Log Message:

• No specific error messages reported

• Logs indicated:

  • Repeated internal health check requests

  • Unclean Apache shutdowns

Defect or Enhancement Number:

No JIRA assigned

Cause:

This issue is not caused by FileCloud itself, but rather environmental and configuration factors:

• High Apache thread configuration (300 workers) leading to excessive CPU and memory usage

• ModSecurity enabled, which adds processing overhead and can significantly increase CPU usage

• Recent Windows update (KB5082142) potentially impacting Apache performance

• Apache instability, as indicated by unclean shutdown logs

Resolution or Workaround:

The following actions resolved the issue:

1. Reduce Apache worker threads

   • Recommended: Lower from 300 to ~150

2. Disable ModSecurity (for testing)

   • Temporarily disable to confirm performance impact

   • Re-enable after validation if needed

3. Perform a clean Apache restart

   • Ensure no leftover Apache processes remain

After applying these changes, the system stabilized and operated normally.

Notes:

• No abnormal external traffic was detected; load was primarily from internal health checks

• MongoDB was confirmed healthy and not contributing to the issue

• Monitoring over one week confirmed stable performance after applying the recommendations