GNS3 – Error ‘ghostsize is to small for device’

KB ID 0000935 

Problem

While doing a quick lab in GNS3, I tried to add NAT to a router, and it fell over with the following error;

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R3(config-if)#ip nat outside
% NBAR ERROR: parsing stopped
% NBAR Error : Activation failed due to insufficient dynamic memory
% NBAR Error: Stile could not add protocol node
%NAT: Error activating CNBAR on the interface FastEthernet0/0
R3(config-if)#
*Mar 1 00:01:11.655: %SYS-2-MALLOCFAIL: Memory allocation of 10260 bytes failed
from 0x62915CD4, alignment 0
Pool: Processor Free: 28660 Cause: Memory fragmentation
Alternate Pool: None Free: 0 Cause: No Alternate pool
-Process= "Exec", ipl= 0, pid= 93, -Traceback= 0x6148BFF8 0x60016604 0x6001C564 0x6001CBBC 0x636756E4 0x62915CDC 0x628F468C 0x628F9DA0 0x628F5968 0x628FA474 0x628F5968 0x628F8344 0x628F5968 0x628F5B2C 0x62928FBC 0x62933A20
*Mar 1 00:01:11.659: %NBAR-2-NOMEMORY: No memory available for StILE lmalloc, -Traceback= 0x6148BFF8 0x62915CF8 0x628F468C 0x628F9DA0 0x628F5968 0x628FA474 0x628F5968 0x628F8344 0x628F5968 0x628F5B2C 0x62928FBC 0x62933A20 0x62920BD0 0x6293DF70 0x6293E2F0 0x61C77C70
R3(config-if)#
*Mar 1 00:01:12.231: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface NVI0, changed state to up
R3(config-if)#

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A quick Google told me, this was because I didn’t have enough memory assigned to the router, and I was supposed to change this, save the new setting, and reload the router. But as soon as I did that, this happened. (Note: Seen in GNS3, I could not console to the router).

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GNS3 management console. Running GNS3 version 0.8.6.
Copyright (c) 2006-2013GNS3 Project.

=> *** Warning: ghostsize is to small for device R3. Increase it with the ghostsize option.

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Solution

1. Locate the filename.net file for your project, and open it.

Note: Usually in C:Users{user-name}GNS3Projects

2. Locate the section that contains your router settings, (you should see the IOS image name). Below that change the RAM value, here I changed it from 128 to 256, then save the file and reopen your GNS3 project.

3. To stop this happening again, whilst in GNS3 > Edit > IOS Images and Hypervisors > Locate the router image, and set the default RAM figure here > Save > Click Test settings to make sure.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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