Evaluating current memory usage with the free and top commands and clearing the memory cache

In this recipe we will consider the merit of monitoring your current memory usage with a view to periodically clearing the cache.

The CentOS operating system has an efficient memory management process that will serve to restore cached memory as an ongoing process. However, there are occasions when the server may decide that the cached memory is being used for a particular reason which can inadvertently lead to memory retention and deny your server access to a vital and necessary resource. Memory is vital to a server, and it is the purpose of this recipe to show you how to force the server to release any cached memory.

Getting ready

To complete this recipe, you will require a minimal installation of the CentOS 6 operating system with root privileges and a console-based text editor of your choice.

How to do it...

As the administrator of your server it is often a good idea to make regular checks as to...