Weaviate 'Memory Pressure: Cannot Init Shard' Error
Quick answer
This error means the OS limit on memory-mapped files (vm.max_map_count) is too low for your shard count. Raise it and restart the affected pods.
Most likely fix: Raise vm.max_map_count
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Raise vm.max_map_count
- Increase vm.max_map_count on the host to roughly 3-4x its current value
- Restart affected pods or containers
- Applies to all versions per the official known-issues page
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Log shows 'memory pressure: cannot init shard: not enough memory mappings'; tenant activation or shard startup fails.
Why it happens
- vm.max_map_count too low for the number of shards or tenants
This guide also covers
- weaviate cannot init shard
- weaviate not enough memory mappings
- weaviate vm.max_map_count
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