The %datahash hash only accumulates 50-150K depending on the device and it's blown away at each iteration. The script saves very little data persistently. I monitor those variables for size and they don't grow out of control. Watching the script with top shows the memory usage grow geometrically. Slow at first, then going up 1-5 meg every few seconds. The memory usage accelerates.

I have a previous version of the script that doesn't have the memory leak. The only real difference is the use of a central datahash to keep everything. The old script just directly prints everything. That's why I think this is the culprit.

I wrote a test script that used Padwalker to check on the my'd variables with peek_my and then Data::Dump that hash. That showed something very interesting. After I assigned the independent hashes into the datahash (%{$datahash{"branch"}} = %branchdata;) the dump showed both hashes were refering to the same data. It wasn't a pure copy. Like: 

do {
  my $a = {
    "%cdp"    => {
              "1.4" => {
                         id => "switch",
                         ip => "1.2.3.4",
                         platform => "WS-C6509",
                       }
    },
    "%datahash"   => {
                  cdp => { "1.4" => 'fix', "1.5" => 'fix' },
    },
  };
  $a->{"%datahash"}{cdp}{"1.4"} = $a->{"%cdp"}{"1.4"};
};

[download]

Does this shed any light on anything? Thanks.

In reply to Re^2: Massive Perl Memory Leak by wagnerc
in thread Massive Perl Memory Leak by wagnerc

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