27.7. tracemalloc — Trace memory allocations

Python 3.5.1

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27.7. `tracemalloc` — Trace memory allocations

New in version 3.4.

The tracemalloc module is a debug tool to trace memory blocks allocated by Python. It provides the following information:

Traceback where an object was allocated
Statistics on allocated memory blocks per filename and per line number: total size, number and average size of allocated memory blocks
Compute the differences between two snapshots to detect memory leaks

To trace most memory blocks allocated by Python, the module should be started as early as possible by setting the PYTHONTRACEMALLOC environment variable to 1, or by using -X tracemalloc command line option. The tracemalloc.start() function can be called at runtime to start tracing Python memory allocations.

By default, a trace of an allocated memory block only stores the most recent frame (1 frame). To store 25 frames at startup: set the PYTHONTRACEMALLOC environment variable to 25, or use the -X tracemalloc=25 command line option.

27.7.1. Examples

27.7.1.1. Display the top 10

Display the 10 files allocating the most memory:

import tracemalloc

tracemalloc.start()

# ... run your application ...

snapshot = tracemalloc.take_snapshot()
top_stats = snapshot.statistics('lineno')

print("[ Top 10 ]")
for stat in top_stats[:10]:
    print(stat)

Example of output of the Python test suite:

[ Top 10 ]
<frozen importlib._bootstrap>:716: size=4855 KiB, count=39328, average=126 B
<frozen importlib._bootstrap>:284: size=521 KiB, count=3199, average=167 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/collections/__init__.py:368: size=244 KiB, count=2315, average=108 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/unittest/case.py:381: size=185 KiB, count=779, average=243 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/unittest/case.py:402: size=154 KiB, count=378, average=416 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/abc.py:133: size=88.7 KiB, count=347, average=262 B
<frozen importlib._bootstrap>:1446: size=70.4 KiB, count=911, average=79 B
<frozen importlib._bootstrap>:1454: size=52.0 KiB, count=25, average=2131 B
<string>:5: size=49.7 KiB, count=148, average=344 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/sysconfig.py:411: size=48.0 KiB, count=1, average=48.0 KiB

We can see that Python loaded 4.8 MiB data (bytecode and constants) from modules and that the collections module allocated 244 KiB to build namedtuple types.

See Snapshot.statistics() for more options.

27.7.1.2. Compute differences

Take two snapshots and display the differences:

import tracemalloc
tracemalloc.start()
# ... start your application ...

snapshot1 = tracemalloc.take_snapshot()
# ... call the function leaking memory ...
snapshot2 = tracemalloc.take_snapshot()

top_stats = snapshot2.compare_to(snapshot1, 'lineno')

print("[ Top 10 differences ]")
for stat in top_stats[:10]:
    print(stat)

Example of output before/after running some tests of the Python test suite:

[ Top 10 differences ]
<frozen importlib._bootstrap>:716: size=8173 KiB (+4428 KiB), count=71332 (+39369), average=117 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/linecache.py:127: size=940 KiB (+940 KiB), count=8106 (+8106), average=119 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/unittest/case.py:571: size=298 KiB (+298 KiB), count=589 (+589), average=519 B
<frozen importlib._bootstrap>:284: size=1005 KiB (+166 KiB), count=7423 (+1526), average=139 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/mimetypes.py:217: size=112 KiB (+112 KiB), count=1334 (+1334), average=86 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/http/server.py:848: size=96.0 KiB (+96.0 KiB), count=1 (+1), average=96.0 KiB
/usr/lib/python3.4/inspect.py:1465: size=83.5 KiB (+83.5 KiB), count=109 (+109), average=784 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/unittest/mock.py:491: size=77.7 KiB (+77.7 KiB), count=143 (+143), average=557 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/urllib/parse.py:476: size=71.8 KiB (+71.8 KiB), count=969 (+969), average=76 B
/usr/lib/python3.4/contextlib.py:38: size=67.2 KiB (+67.2 KiB), count=126 (+126), average=546 B

We can see that Python has loaded 8.2 MiB of module data (bytecode and constants), and that this is 4.4 MiB more than had been loaded before the tests, when the previous snapshot was taken. Similarly, the linecache module has cached 940 KiB of Python source code to format tracebacks, all of it since the previous snapshot.

If the system has little free memory, snapshots can be written on disk using the Snapshot.dump() method to analyze the snapshot offline. Then use the Snapshot.load() method reload the snapshot.

27.7.1.3. Get the traceback of a memory block

Code to display the traceback of the biggest memory block:

import tracemalloc

# Store 25 frames
tracemalloc.start(25)

# ... run your application ...

snapshot = tracemalloc.take_snapshot()
top_stats = snapshot.statistics('traceback')

# pick the biggest memory block
stat = top_stats[0]
print("%s memory blocks: %.1f KiB" % (stat.count, stat.size / 1024))
for line in stat.traceback.format():
    print(line)

Example of output of the Python test suite (traceback limited to 25 frames):

903 memory blocks: 870.1 KiB
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 716
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1036
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 934
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1068
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 619
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1581
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1614
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/doctest.py", line 101
    import pdb
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 284
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 938
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1068
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 619
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1581
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1614
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/test/support/__init__.py", line 1728
    import doctest
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/test/test_pickletools.py", line 21
    support.run_doctest(pickletools)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/test/regrtest.py", line 1276
    test_runner()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/test/regrtest.py", line 976
    display_failure=not verbose)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/test/regrtest.py", line 761
    match_tests=ns.match_tests)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/test/regrtest.py", line 1563
    main()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/test/__main__.py", line 3
    regrtest.main_in_temp_cwd()
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/runpy.py", line 73
    exec(code, run_globals)
  File "/usr/lib/python3.4/runpy.py", line 160
    "__main__", fname, loader, pkg_name)

We can see that the most memory was allocated in the importlib module to load data (bytecode and constants) from modules: 870 KiB. The traceback is where the importlib loaded data most recently: on the import pdb line of the doctest module. The traceback may change if a new module is loaded.

27.7.1.4. Pretty top

Code to display the 10 lines allocating the most memory with a pretty output, ignoring <frozen importlib._bootstrap> and <unknown> files:

import linecache
import os
import tracemalloc

def display_top(snapshot, group_by='lineno', limit=10):
    snapshot = snapshot.filter_traces((
        tracemalloc.Filter(False, "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>"),
        tracemalloc.Filter(False, "<unknown>"),
    ))
    top_stats = snapshot.statistics(group_by)

    print("Top %s lines" % limit)
    for index, stat in enumerate(top_stats[:limit], 1):
        frame = stat.traceback[0]
        # replace "/path/to/module/file.py" with "module/file.py"
        filename = os.sep.join(frame.filename.split(os.sep)[-2:])
        print("#%s: %s:%s: %.1f KiB"
              % (index, filename, frame.lineno, stat.size / 1024))
        line = linecache.getline(frame.filename, frame.lineno).strip()
        if line:
            print('    %s' % line)

    other = top_stats[limit:]
    if other:
        size = sum(stat.size for stat in other)
        print("%s other: %.1f KiB" % (len(other), size / 1024))
    total = sum(stat.size for stat in top_stats)
    print("Total allocated size: %.1f KiB" % (total / 1024))

tracemalloc.start()

# ... run your application ...

snapshot = tracemalloc.take_snapshot()
display_top(snapshot)

Example of output of the Python test suite:

Top 10 lines
#1: Lib/base64.py:414: 419.8 KiB
    _b85chars2 = [(a + b) for a in _b85chars for b in _b85chars]
#2: Lib/base64.py:306: 419.8 KiB
    _a85chars2 = [(a + b) for a in _a85chars for b in _a85chars]
#3: collections/__init__.py:368: 293.6 KiB
    exec(class_definition, namespace)
#4: Lib/abc.py:133: 115.2 KiB
    cls = super().__new__(mcls, name, bases, namespace)
#5: unittest/case.py:574: 103.1 KiB
    testMethod()
#6: Lib/linecache.py:127: 95.4 KiB
    lines = fp.readlines()
#7: urllib/parse.py:476: 71.8 KiB
    for a in _hexdig for b in _hexdig}
#8: <string>:5: 62.0 KiB
#9: Lib/_weakrefset.py:37: 60.0 KiB
    self.data = set()
#10: Lib/base64.py:142: 59.8 KiB
    _b32tab2 = [a + b for a in _b32tab for b in _b32tab]
6220 other: 3602.8 KiB
Total allocated size: 5303.1 KiB

See Snapshot.statistics() for more options.

27.7.2. API

27.7.2.1. Functions

tracemalloc.clear_traces()

Clear traces of memory blocks allocated by Python.

27.7.2.2. Filter

class tracemalloc.Filter(inclusive: bool, filename_pattern: str, lineno: int=None, all_frames: bool=False)

Filter on traces of memory blocks.

See the fnmatch.fnmatch() function for the syntax of filename_pattern. The '.pyc' file extension is replaced with '.py'.

Examples:

Filter(True, subprocess.__file__) only includes traces of the subprocess module
Filter(False, tracemalloc.__file__) excludes traces of the tracemalloc module
Filter(False, "<unknown>") excludes empty tracebacks

Changed in version 3.5: The '.pyo' file extension is no longer replaced with '.py'.

inclusive

If inclusive is True (include), only trace memory blocks allocated in a file with a name matching filename_pattern at line number lineno.

If inclusive is False (exclude), ignore memory blocks allocated in a file with a name matching filename_pattern at line number lineno.

lineno: Line number (int) of the filter. If lineno is None, the filter matches any line number.

filename_pattern: Filename pattern of the filter (str).

all_frames

If all_frames is True, all frames of the traceback are checked. If all_frames is False, only the most recent frame is checked.

This attribute has no effect if the traceback limit is 1. See the get_traceback_limit() function and Snapshot.traceback_limit attribute.

27.7.2.3. Frame

class tracemalloc.Frame

Frame of a traceback.

The Traceback class is a sequence of Frame instances.

filename: Filename (str).

lineno: Line number (int).

27.7.2.4. Snapshot

class tracemalloc.Snapshot

Snapshot of traces of memory blocks allocated by Python.

The take_snapshot() function creates a snapshot instance.

compare_to(old_snapshot: Snapshot, group_by: str, cumulative: bool=False)

Compute the differences with an old snapshot. Get statistics as a sorted list of StatisticDiff instances grouped by group_by.

See the Snapshot.statistics() method for group_by and cumulative parameters.

The result is sorted from the biggest to the smallest by: absolute value of StatisticDiff.size_diff, StatisticDiff.size, absolute value of StatisticDiff.count_diff, Statistic.count and then by StatisticDiff.traceback.

dump(filename)

Write the snapshot into a file.

Use load() to reload the snapshot.

filter_traces(filters)

Create a new Snapshot instance with a filtered traces sequence, filters is a list of Filter instances. If filters is an empty list, return a new Snapshot instance with a copy of the traces.

All inclusive filters are applied at once, a trace is ignored if no inclusive filters match it. A trace is ignored if at least one exclusive filter matches it.

classmethod load(filename)

Load a snapshot from a file.

group_by	description
`'filename'`	filename
`'lineno'`	filename and line number
`'traceback'`	traceback

27.7.2.5. Statistic

class tracemalloc.Statistic

Statistic on memory allocations.

Snapshot.statistics() returns a list of Statistic instances.

27.7.2.6. StatisticDiff

class tracemalloc.StatisticDiff

Statistic difference on memory allocations between an old and a new Snapshot instance.

Snapshot.compare_to() returns a list of StatisticDiff instances. See also the Statistic class.

count: Number of memory blocks in the new snapshot (int): 0 if the memory blocks have been released in the new snapshot.

count_diff: Difference of number of memory blocks between the old and the new snapshots (int): 0 if the memory blocks have been allocated in the new snapshot.

size: Total size of memory blocks in bytes in the new snapshot (int): 0 if the memory blocks have been released in the new snapshot.

size_diff: Difference of total size of memory blocks in bytes between the old and the new snapshots (int): 0 if the memory blocks have been allocated in the new snapshot.

traceback: Traceback where the memory blocks were allocated, Traceback instance.

27.7.2.7. Trace

class tracemalloc.Trace

Trace of a memory block.

The Snapshot.traces attribute is a sequence of Trace instances.

size: Size of the memory block in bytes (int).

traceback: Traceback where the memory block was allocated, Traceback instance.

27.7.2.8. Traceback

class tracemalloc.Traceback

Sequence of Frame instances sorted from the most recent frame to the oldest frame.

A traceback contains at least 1 frame. If the tracemalloc module failed to get a frame, the filename "<unknown>" at line number 0 is used.

When a snapshot is taken, tracebacks of traces are limited to get_traceback_limit() frames. See the take_snapshot() function.

The Trace.traceback attribute is an instance of Traceback instance.

format(limit=None)

Format the traceback as a list of lines with newlines. Use the linecache module to retrieve lines from the source code. If limit is set, only format the limit most recent frames.

Similar to the traceback.format_tb() function, except that format() does not include newlines.

Example:

print("Traceback (most recent call first):")
for line in traceback:
    print(line)

Output:

Traceback (most recent call first):
  File "test.py", line 9
    obj = Object()
  File "test.py", line 12
    tb = tracemalloc.get_object_traceback(f())

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