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Low-Memory EMS Warnings

ONTAP raises low-memory or allocation warnings, and management or data services may feel slow or unstable.

What ONTAP is telling you

The event reports memory pressure or a failed allocation at a point in time. Event text, node health, workload/CPU context, and recurrence are needed before attributing it to load, software, or hardware.

EMS reference Search the exact memory-related message name/text reported on the node; the archive does not verify one universal low-memory event name.

How to confirm

event log show -time >1h -severity EMERGENCY,ALERT,ERROR
system health alert show
system node show -fields node,is-node-healthy,uptime
statistics show -object processor -instance <node>
system node autosupport invoke -node <node> -type all -message low_memory_triage

Output shape: Record exact event names and text, affected node, first/last occurrence, health alerts, uptime, and concurrent CPU/workload evidence. Do not substitute an invented free-memory threshold.

The fix

Reduce only a workload proven to coincide with pressure and collect AutoSupport evidence. Repeated alerts, service impact, or a node health alert require NetApp Support; no archive-backed generic memory-reclamation or reboot command is verified.

How to prevent it

Alert on recurrence and service impact, retain AutoSupport, review release notes/known issues for the installed train, and capacity-test workload changes.

Sources and version relevance

Commands and claims are limited to material already represented in the Black Box archive. CLI links target the archived ONTAP 9.19.1 reference; fields and availability can differ by release. Check your ONTAP version and on-cluster command ? before production use.

Related Black Box pages: performance triage · AutoSupport and EMS · troubleshooting playbook · all troubleshooting guides

Related advisory: none identified in the archive for this operational symptom.