A cloud server can detect zombie processes through system monitoring tools and commands. Zombie processes are terminated processes that still have an entry in the process table, usually because their parent process failed to read their exit status.
Using ps Command:
Run ps aux | grep 'Z' to list processes with a status of "Z" (zombie). Example:
ps aux | grep 'Z'
Output may show:
user 1234 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? Z 10:00 0:00 [defunct]
Using top or htop:
These tools display real-time system stats, including zombie processes. Look for processes marked as "Z" in the status column.
Checking /proc Filesystem:
Inspect /proc/[pid]/status for processes with State: Z (zombie).
If a cloud server runs a batch job that spawns child processes, and the parent fails to handle their termination, zombies may accumulate. Regular monitoring prevents resource leaks.
For automated detection, Tencent Cloud provides Cloud Monitor to track system metrics, including process states. Use Custom Metrics to alert on zombie process spikes. Additionally, Serverless Cloud Function (SCF) can run scheduled scripts to check and log zombies. For managed services, Tencent Kubernetes Engine (TKE) includes health checks to restart faulty pods, reducing zombie risks.