Why Does a Job Fail with ‘No Space Left on Device’ Even When DF Says Otherwise?

This is a fundamental question related to managing resources and system specifics when running Apache Spark jobs. The error message “No Space Left on Device” is often more complex than the literal meaning of running out of disk space. Here’s a detailed explanation to address this issue:

Understanding the Context

Apache Spark jobs usually operate on large datasets, and they depend on the underlying filesystem and cluster configuration for efficient execution. If the Spark job fails with an error message like “No Space Left on Device,” but the `df` command shows there’s ample disk space available, it could be due to the reasons outlined below:

Inodes Exhaustion

Even though `df` indicates available disk space, your system also has a limited number of inodes. Each file or directory entry occupies an inode, and once the inodes are exhausted, you can’t create new files, regardless of the space available. To check this, you can use the following command:


df -i

This will show you the inode usage on your filesystem. If the inode usage is 100%, you will encounter a “No Space Left on Device” error.

Disk Quotas

If there are disk quotas in place, individual users or directories may be limited to using a certain amount of disk space. Even if the overall filesystem has space available, your specific operation could be hitting a quota limit. Disk quotas can be verified with a command like `quota -u [username]` on Unix-like systems.

Temporary Storage and Spillover

Spark jobs often require temporary storage for shuffles, caching, and intermediate computations. If the temporary directories configured for Spark (e.g., `spark.local.dir`) are full, it can lead to failures, even if the main storage appears to have enough space. You can configure multiple directories for Spark to use for spillover storage:


spark.local.dir /path1,/path2

YARN/Nodemanager Local Directory

If you’re using YARN as your cluster manager, the NodeManager’s local directories specified by `yarn.nodemanager.local-dirs` could also run out of space. This configuration is crucial for temporary storage during job execution. Monitor these directories to ensure they have enough space.

File Descriptor Limits

Every open file needs a file descriptor, and there is a limit to how many file descriptors can be open simultaneously. If your Spark job attempts to open more files than the system allows, it might fail. Typically this limit can be checked and set by `ulimit -n`:


ulimit -n

Increase this limit if it’s too low for your application’s needs:


ulimit -n 4096  # Example to increase the limit to 4096

Actual Disk Usage

Lastly, sometimes the `df` output might not be up-to-date, especially in highly dynamic environments. Releasing file space might not immediately reflect in `df`. Commands like `lsof` can help you track down any files still being held open by processes.

Summary

This “No Space Left on Device” error, despite df showing ample space, is often due to inodes exhaustion, temporary storage overflows, disk quotas, or file descriptor limits. It’s essential to monitor and manage all these facets to keep your Spark applications running smoothly.

Remember that robust monitoring and logging can help to pre-emptively diagnose such issues. Periodically check all relevant system metrics and limits to ensure a smooth operational environment for your Spark jobs.

About Editorial Team

Our Editorial Team is made up of tech enthusiasts who are highly skilled in Apache Spark, PySpark, and Machine Learning. They are also proficient in Python, Pandas, R, Hive, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, and Databricks. They aren't just experts; they are passionate teachers. They are dedicated to making complex data concepts easy to understand through engaging and simple tutorials with examples.

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