file server slow to respond

[Pat Mahoney <pmahoney@uiuc.edu>]

(please cc: replies)

I have a file server (hppa, scsi disk) that spends most of its time
idle.  Logging in (ssh) takes several seconds.  For any command, the
first time it is run requires several seconds, and subsequent executions
of the command occur quickly and normally.

Here's the output of free -m

pat@loop:~$ free -m
             total       used       free     shared    buffers cached
Mem:           500        490         10          0         64 342
-/+ buffers/cache:         83        417
Swap:          487          3        484

I'm honestly not sure where to start in tracking down the cause of this,
so any help is appreciated (especially a name for the problem to
facilitate searching for an answer).  Thanks.

(please cc: replies)

-- 
Pat Mahoney	<pmahoney@uiuc.edu>