# Dashboard crashing - EMFILE error
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323
**Category:** Dashboard
**Created:** [27 February 2020 11:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323 "2020-02-27T11:51:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kaless](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kaless)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 11:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/1 "2020-02-27T11:51:25Z")
Hello,
When I activate a loop (30 process of about 500 ms), that simulate a CAN network, I get the following error and my dashboard become inactive (connection lost):
```auto
27 Feb 12:38:06 - [info] [exec:40bcec03.751834] error:Error: spawn /bin/sh EMFILE
27 Feb 12:38:06 - [info] [exec:40bcec03.751834] error:Error: spawn /bin/sh EMFILE
27 Feb 12:38:15 - [info] [exec:40bcec03.751834] error:Error: spawn /bin/sh EMFILE
```
For information, I am subscribing to an MQTT broker.
Previously, I didn't have this behaviour but as I added more flows, the EMFILE error occured.
Research lead me to it being a node.js related issue about having "too many open file".
However when I ran:
```auto
lsof -i -n -P | grep node
```
I only find 4 to 5 process, well bellow the limit 1024
```auto
ulimit -a | grep files
open files (-n) 1024
```
What in my usage of node-red may lead to its issue?
How could I fix the issue?
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 12:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/2 "2020-02-27T12:19:53Z")
What is the command in the exec node?
---
### Author:  [@kaless](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kaless)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 12:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/3 "2020-02-27T12:44:50Z")
I don't know what exec node is a tthe origin of the error.
I got the id that is alocated to the node in the log. Yet I don't know how to find which node it refer to.
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 13:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/4 "2020-02-27T13:09:24Z")
Have you got a lot of them in subflows?
If you put a debug node in parallel with each one logging something to the console then you may be able to work out out from looking in the log.
---
### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 13:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/5 "2020-02-27T13:56:29Z")
in the editor you should be able to use ctrl or cmd - f to search - in your case for the node id - 40bcec03.751834
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 14:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/6 "2020-02-27T14:10:12Z")
I think I have got my threads crossed, I thought that had already failed due to it being in a subflow. I think that was a different thread though.
---
### Author:  [@kaless](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kaless)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 15:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/7 "2020-02-27T15:37:51Z")
I could find the node causing the error. However the node in question work previously, it is the fact that I add more flow/node (all unrelated), which causes an error.
The error seems to be coming from my environment limitation. (an ubuntu VM in virtualBox)
I try the same project on a linux desktop (ubuntu too), and did not encounter any issue.
Somehow this issue is related to computer power. ðŸ˜
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [27 February 2020 20:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/8 "2020-02-27T20:34:25Z")
What does the exec node do?
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [28 March 2020 20:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-crashing-emfile-error/22323/9 "2020-03-28T20:39:14Z")
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