how many idle processes should i have per livekit ...
# ask-air
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:03 PMhow many idle processes should i have per livekit cloud container with a python agent lk agent status
Using default project [buckeye-dashboard]
Using agent [CA_ubuZhpVxLJvL]
┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────┬─────────┬───────────────┬────────────┬─────────────┬──────────────────────┐
│ ID │ Version │ Region │ Status │ CPU │ Mem │ Replicas │ Deployed At │
├─────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────────────┼────────────┼─────────────┼──────────────────────┤
│ CA_ubuZhpVxLJvL │ v20251229182418 │ us-east │ Running │ 2318m / 8000m │ 1.3 / 16GB │ 12 / 1 / 16 │ 2025-12-29T182521Z │
└─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴───────────────┴────────────┴─────────────┴──────────────────────┘
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:03 PMThanks for reaching out, Bobvi. I'm an AI assistant and I'm here to help. Give me a moment while I research this topic.
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:04 PMThanks — you're asking how many idle processes you should have per LiveKit Cloud container for a Python agent, given the
lk agent statuslk agent statusnum_idle_processesnum_idle_processesnum_idle_processesr
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:04 PMi have 3 idle processes per worker
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:04 PMThanks — got that you’re running 3 idle processes per worker.
That’s a reasonable starting point. Quick guidance:
• Benefits: 3 idle processes helps avoid cold-start latency (useful if your agent loads large models) and lets each worker handle short bursts of concurrent jobs.
• Costs: It increases per-container CPU/memory usage — ensure your containers have headroom given your reported CPU (2318m/8000m) and memory (1.3/16GB).
• When to increase: you see queue buildup, rising request latency, or model load times causing missed work.
• When to decrease: low CPU/memory utilization and idle processes sit unused for long periods (to save cost).
• Practical next steps:
a. Monitor job queue depth, request latency, and process CPU/mem while running normal traffic for a few hours.
b. If latency or queue depth spikes, try raising to 4–6 and compare.
c. If resources are under pressure, reduce to 1–2 or rely more on container replica autoscaling.
If you want, tell me your typical request rate, average job duration, or observed latency and I’ll recommend a concrete
num_idle_processesr
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:05 PMcould we do 10 per instance ?
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:05 PMThanks — got that you want to go from 3 to 10 idle processes per instance.
Short answer: yes, you can try 10, but only if each instance has enough CPU and memory headroom. Before rolling it to production, validate in staging and watch memory/CPU and latency.
Quick checklist to safely test 10 idle processes:
1. Confirm per-process memory footprint (model + runtime). 10 × that footprint must fit comfortably inside your container memory (leave room for OS/overhead).
2. Verify CPU headroom — prewarmed processes consume CPU when active; ensure average+burst CPU stays below limits.
3. Run a staged test with realistic traffic for several hours and monitor:
◦ Job queue depth and request latency
◦ Container memory usage and OOM events
◦ CPU utilization and throttling
1. Compare metrics vs. 3 idle processes: look for reduced cold-starts/latency without increased OOMs or CPU saturation.
2. If memory/CPU is constrained, consider fewer idle processes, larger instance types, or relying on horizontal autoscaling instead of a high per-instance pool.
If you share one sample: average job size (MB), model load memory, or typical requests/sec, I’ll recommend a concrete
num_idle_processesr
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:08 PMthis is the current usuage with 3 idle processes sing default project [buckeye-dashboard]
Using agent [CA_ubuZhpVxLJvL]
┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────┬─────────┬───────────────┬────────────┬─────────────┬──────────────────────┐
│ ID │ Version │ Region │ Status │ CPU │ Mem │ Replicas │ Deployed At │
├─────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼───────────────┼────────────┼─────────────┼──────────────────────┤
│ CA_ubuZhpVxLJvL │ v20251229182418 │ us-east │ Running │ 2318m / 8000m │ 1.3 / 16GB │ 12 / 1 / 16 │ 2025-12-29T182521Z │
└─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴───────────────┴────────────┴─────────────┴──────────────────────┘
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:08 PMThanks — I see your current usage: ~2.3 CPU / 1.3 GB memory per container (of an 8 CPU / 16 GB limit) while running 3 idle processes.
Short answer: 10 idle processes may be feasible, but you should validate before rolling it out.
Recommended immediate steps:
1. Estimate per-process memory: share or measure memory used by a single prewarmed process (model + runtime). 10 × that must fit well below 16 GB with room for overhead.
2. Check CPU headroom: ensure spikes from 10 prewarmed processes won’t exceed CPU limits (currently ~2.3 CPU used).
3. Stage test: deploy 10 idle processes in staging and run realistic traffic for several hours.
4. Monitor during the test:
◦ Container memory (ensure no OOMs)
◦ CPU usage and throttling
◦ Job queue depth, request latency, and cold-start rate
1. Compare results vs. 3 idle processes; if memory/CPU spike or OOMs occur, lower the idle count or increase instance size/replicas.
If you share the per-process memory footprint (MB) or typical requests/sec and average job duration, I’ll give a concrete recommendation for
num_idle_processesr
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:08 PMwhats the max we can do with these stats
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:08 PMThanks — I’ll use your reported per-container usage (≈2.3 CPU, 1.3 GB mem used out of 8 CPU / 16 GB) to estimate a safe upper bound.
Quick calculation and guidance:
• Memory is the limiting resource: you have ~14.7 GB free (16 GB − 1.3 GB).
• If you keep a safety buffer (recommended) of 20% for OS/overhead and spikes, reserve ~3.2 GB, leaving ~11.5 GB for idle processes.
• That means the maximum idle processes = floor(available_memory_for_processes / per_process_memory).
Examples:
• If each prewarmed process uses 500 MB → 11.5 GB / 0.5 GB ≈ 23 processes.
• If each uses 1 GB → ≈ 11 processes.
• If each uses 1.5 GB → ≈ 7 processes.
CPU check:
• You currently use ~2.3 CPU of 8; reserve headroom (50% recommended) so allow up to ~4 CPU additional for processes. If each process uses X CPU when active, ensure peak CPU usage from all prewarmed processes + baseline stays below limits.
Recommendation:
1. Measure one prewarmed process memory and peak CPU (start one, observe).
2. Apply the formula above with a 20% safety buffer.
3. Test in staging at that number and monitor OOMs, CPU throttling, latency.
If you tell me the measured per-process memory (MB) and typical CPU per process, I’ll compute an exact maximum and a safe test value.
r
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:10 PMok with a 30% buffer how muich should we do
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:10 PMThanks — I’ll compute this with a 30% buffer. I still need one measurement to give an exact number:
Please provide the memory footprint of a single prewarmed idle process (in MB). If you don’t have that, tell me whether a single process is roughly: ~500 MB, ~1 GB, or ~1.5 GB.
Meanwhile, formula and quick steps I’ll use once you provide that:
• Available memory = 16 GB − current usage (1.3 GB) = 14.7 GB
• Buffer (30%) = 16 GB × 0.3 = 4.8 GB → usable = 16 − 4.8 − 1.3 = 10.0 GB
• Max idle processes = floor(usable / per_process_memory)
Give me the per-process memory and I’ll compute the exact max and a safe test value.
r
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:12 PM⏺️ Based on the current metrics:
Current: 3 idle processes = 1.3 GB total
So empirically: ~433 MB per process (1.3GB ÷ 3)
This includes the main supervisor overhead distributed across processes. For your calculation, I'd use ~500 MB to be conservative (accounts for memory growth during active calls).
Your Calculation:
Usable memory = 16GB - 4.8GB (30% buffer) = 11.2 GB
Current base usage with 3 procs = 1.3 GB
Memory per additional process = ~500 MB
Max processes = 3 + floor((11.2 - 1.3) / 0.5) = 3 + 19 = 22
But realistically, 10-12 processes per replica is a sensible ceiling for voice agents (CPU becomes the bottleneck before memory).
Quick Test Value:
With 12 replicas:
- NUM_IDLE_PROCESSES = 8 → 96 concurrent calls
- NUM_IDLE_PROCESSES = 10 → 120 concurrent calls
Recommendation: Start with 8, monitor CPU (you're at 2.3/8 cores now), then bump to 10 if stable.
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:12 PMThanks — I reviewed your math and it looks sound.
Summary and confirmation:
• Empirical per-process ≈ 433 MB; using 500 MB conservative is reasonable.
• With a 30% buffer: usable = 16 GB − 4.8 GB = 11.2 GB.
• Subtract current base usage (1.3 GB) leaves 9.9 GB for idle processes.
• Additional processes = floor(9.9 GB / 0.5 GB) = 19 → total ≈ 3 + 19 = 22.
Practical recommendation:
• Memory-wise 22 is the theoretical max, but CPU usually becomes the limiting factor for voice agents.
• Start with *NUM_IDLE_PROCESSES = 8*; monitor CPU, latency, and OOMs.
• If stable, step to 10, then 12 and re-evaluate. I agree that 10–12 per replica is a sensible ceiling in practice.
What I can help with next:
• If you want, I can provide the exact CPU headroom check if you share per-process peak CPU (or typical requests/sec and avg job duration).
r
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:24 PM025-12-29 202329,359 [WARNING] livekit.agents: process is unresponsive
{"message": "process is unresponsive", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "delay": 3987, "pid": 29668, "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.359426+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,359 [WARNING] livekit.agents: process is unresponsive
{"message": "process is unresponsive", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "delay": 3988, "pid": 29672, "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.359579+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,359 [WARNING] livekit.agents: process is unresponsive
{"message": "process is unresponsive", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "delay": 3988, "pid": 36906, "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.359670+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,359 [WARNING] livekit.agents: process is unresponsive
{"message": "process is unresponsive", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "delay": 3988, "pid": 29655, "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.359770+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,359 [WARNING] livekit.agents: process is unresponsive
{"message": "process is unresponsive", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "delay": 3987, "pid": 36901, "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.359863+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,360 [WARNING] livekit.agents: process is unresponsive
{"message": "process is unresponsive", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "delay": 3985, "pid": 24394, "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.360167+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,361 [WARNING] livekit.agents: assignment for job AJ_gK8NMGeWDche timed out
{"message": "assignment for job AJ_gK8NMGeWDche timed out", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x558679a29200>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.361571+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,361 [ERROR] livekit.agents: job_request_fnc failed
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1217, in _job_request_task
await self._request_fnc(job_req)
File "/app/src/agent.py", line 2719, in on_job_request
await req.accept()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py", line 711, in accept
await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1184, in _on_accept
raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None
livekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError
{"message": "job_request_fnc failed", "level": "ERROR", "name": "livekit.agents", "exc_info": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1217, in _job_request_task\n await self._request_fnc(job_req)\n File \"/app/src/agent.py\", line 2719, in on_job_request\n await req.accept()\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py\", line 711, in accept\n await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1184, in _on_accept\n raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None\nlivekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x558679a29200>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.361758+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202329,362 [WARNING] livekit.agents: assignment for job AJ_N8w7XngKndjY timed out
{"message": "assignment for job AJ_N8w7XngKndjY timed out", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x558679e6fe40>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.362560+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,147 [INFO] services.execution_persistence: [Telemetry] Flush started: execution=7acf32f8-43a7-51ec-b48a-3ad8703c316f, buffer_size=3, metric_types={'vad_metrics'}, retry_queue_size=0
2025-12-29 202329,362 [ERROR] livekit.agents: job_request_fnc failed
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1217, in _job_request_task
await self._request_fnc(job_req)
File "/app/src/agent.py", line 2719, in on_job_request
await req.accept()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py", line 711, in accept
await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1184, in _on_accept
raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None
livekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError
{"message": "job_request_fnc failed", "level": "ERROR", "name": "livekit.agents", "exc_info": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1217, in _job_request_task\n await self._request_fnc(job_req)\n File \"/app/src/agent.py\", line 2719, in on_job_request\n await req.accept()\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py\", line 711, in accept\n await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1184, in _on_accept\n raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None\nlivekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x558679e6fe40>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202329.362671+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,582 [WARNING] livekit.agents: assignment for job AJ_Ps8EMfYjfc79 timed out
{"message": "assignment for job AJ_Ps8EMfYjfc79 timed out", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x5586799bd990>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.582332+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,147 [INFO] services.execution_persistence: [Telemetry] Flush started: execution=7acf32f8-43a7-51ec-b48a-3ad8703c316f, buffer_size=3, metric_types={'vad_metrics'}, retry_queue_size=0
{"message": "[Telemetry] Flush started: execution=7acf32f8-43a7-51ec-b48a-3ad8703c316f, buffer_size=3, metric_types={'vad_metrics'}, retry_queue_size=0", "level": "INFO", "name": "services.execution_persistence", "pid": 1438, "job_id": "AJ_xMXSUPRSU7yT", "room_id": "RM_da4t3QEjSJNS", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.147284+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,582 [ERROR] livekit.agents: job_request_fnc failed
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1217, in _job_request_task
await self._request_fnc(job_req)
File "/app/src/agent.py", line 2719, in on_job_request
await req.accept()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py", line 711, in accept
await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1184, in _on_accept
raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None
livekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError
{"message": "job_request_fnc failed", "level": "ERROR", "name": "livekit.agents", "exc_info": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1217, in _job_request_task\n await self._request_fnc(job_req)\n File \"/app/src/agent.py\", line 2719, in on_job_request\n await req.accept()\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py\", line 711, in accept\n await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1184, in _on_accept\n raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None\nlivekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x5586799bd990>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.582713+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,584 [WARNING] livekit.agents: assignment for job AJ_hq8fsKE9yWZ6 timed out
{"message": "assignment for job AJ_hq8fsKE9yWZ6 timed out", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x5586799bf8f0>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.584526+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,585 [ERROR] livekit.agents: job_request_fnc failed
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1217, in _job_request_task
await self._request_fnc(job_req)
File "/app/src/agent.py", line 2719, in on_job_request
await req.accept()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py", line 711, in accept
await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1184, in _on_accept
raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None
livekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError
{"message": "job_request_fnc failed", "level": "ERROR", "name": "livekit.agents", "exc_info": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1217, in _job_request_task\n await self._request_fnc(job_req)\n File \"/app/src/agent.py\", line 2719, in on_job_request\n await req.accept()\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py\", line 711, in accept\n await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1184, in _on_accept\n raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None\nlivekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x5586799bf8f0>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.585035+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,585 [WARNING] livekit.agents: assignment for job AJ_RWnhnGfxqDk6 timed out
{"message": "assignment for job AJ_RWnhnGfxqDk6 timed out", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x558679170a80>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.585985+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,586 [ERROR] livekit.agents: job_request_fnc failed
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1217, in _job_request_task
await self._request_fnc(job_req)
File "/app/src/agent.py", line 2719, in on_job_request
await req.accept()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py", line 711, in accept
await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py", line 1184, in _on_accept
raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None
livekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError
{"message": "job_request_fnc failed", "level": "ERROR", "name": "livekit.agents", "exc_info": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1217, in _job_request_task\n await self._request_fnc(job_req)\n File \"/app/src/agent.py\", line 2719, in on_job_request\n await req.accept()\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py\", line 711, in accept\n await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1184, in _on_accept\n raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None\nlivekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x558679170a80>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.586240+00:00"}
2025-12-29 202330,587 [WARNING] livekit.agents: assignment for job AJ_RWnhnGfxqDk6 timed out
{"message": "assignment for job AJ_RWnhnGfxqDk6 timed out", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.agents", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x558679e306c0>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T202330.587509+00:00"} all of our jobs are unresponsive whats goign on here
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:24 PMI’m sorry you’re seeing that — those logs show repeated “process is unresponsive” warnings and AssignmentTimeoutError when the agent tries to accept jobs. I’ll help you troubleshoot quickly.
What this indicates
• Worker processes are not responding to the agent supervisor within the assignment window, causing acceptance to time out.
• Likely causes: CPU or blocking work making processes unresponsive, memory pressure/GC pauses, too many prewarmed processes for available CPU, or synchronous/blocking code in your job handler.
Immediate actions to reduce impact
1. Reduce
NUM_IDLE_PROCESSESr
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:41 PMwhat causes an issue like this 2025-12-29 204052,015 [WARNING] livekit.plugins.silero: inference is slower than realtime
{"message": "[Room] SIP call status changed: active for +12162352279", "level": "INFO", "name": "__mp_main__", "pid": 808, "job_id": "AJ_3hrwJ6UV4WnC", "room_id": "RM_Efky6QLDoBKa", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T204033.507337+00:00"}
{"message": "Error fetching threshold for language en\nTraceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 779, in _request\n resp = await handler(req)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 734, in _connect_and_send_request\n conn = await self._connector.connect(\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 642, in connect\n proto = await self._create_connection(req, traces, timeout)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 1209, in _create_connection\n _, proto = await self._create_direct_connection(req, traces, timeout)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 1532, in _create_direct_connection\n hosts = await self._resolve_host(host, port, traces=traces)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 1148, in _resolve_host\n return await asyncio.shield(resolved_host_task)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\nasyncio.exceptions.CancelledError\n\nThe above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:\n\nTraceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/plugins/turn_detector/multilingual.py\", line 45, in unlikely_threshold\n async with utils.http_context.http_session().post(\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 1510, in __aenter__\n self._resp: _RetType = await self._coro\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 624, in _request\n with timer:\n ^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/helpers.py\", line 713, in __exit__\n raise asyncio.TimeoutError from exc_val\nTimeoutError", "level": "WARNING", "name": "livekit.plugins.turn_detector", "exc_info": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 779, in _request\n resp = await handler(req)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 734, in _connect_and_send_request\n conn = await self._connector.connect(\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 642, in connect\n proto = await self._create_connection(req, traces, timeout)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 1209, in _create_connection\n _, proto = await self._create_direct_connection(req, traces, timeout)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 1532, in _create_direct_connection\n hosts = await self._resolve_host(host, port, traces=traces)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/connector.py\", line 1148, in _resolve_host\n return await asyncio.shield(resolved_host_task)\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\nasyncio.exceptions.CancelledError\n\nThe above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:\n\nTraceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/plugins/turn_detector/multilingual.py\", line 45, in unlikely_threshold\n async with utils.http_context.http_session().post(\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 1510, in __aenter__\n self._resp: _RetType = await self._coro\n ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py\", line 624, in _request\n with timer:\n ^^^^^\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/helpers.py\", line 713, in __exit__\n raise asyncio.TimeoutError from exc_val\nTimeoutError", "pid": 216, "job_id": "AJ_fz6XpLw2Tqr7", "room_id": "RM_NtWmqdAdhNzu", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T204041.965288+00:00"}
2025-12-29 204057,588 [INFO] __mp_main__: AgentSession started - TaskGroup workflow will orchestrate conversation
2025-12-29 204105,633 [WARNING] livekit.plugins.silero: inference is slower than realtime
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:42 PMThanks — I see the logs: “inference is slower than realtime” and timeouts fetching thresholds. Here’s what’s causing that and what to do now.
Likely causes
• CPU throttling (common on burstable instances like t3/t4g) causing model inference to slow dramatically.
• Insufficient CPU for concurrent real‑time audio inference (memory looked fine; CPU is likely the bottleneck).
• Network/DNS/timeouts preventing the turn_detector plugin from fetching thresholds, causing retries/delays.
• Blocking/synchronous work in inference or plugin code that prevents timely processing.
Immediate mitigation steps (do these first)
1. Check instance type and CPU credits:
◦ If on t3/t4g, check CloudWatch
CPUCreditBalanceNUM_IDLE_PROCESSESCPUCreditBalanceNUM_IDLE_PROCESSESr
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:44 PMEnsure Job Handlers Are Async/Non-blocking (v2.2.2)
Problem Summary
After reducing NUM_IDLE_PROCESSES from 12 to 6, we need to ensure job handlers don't block the event
loop, which could cause "process is unresponsive" warnings.
Analysis Complete
Functions Analyzed
| Function | Location | Blocking? | Notes
|
|---------------------|-----------|----------------------|----------------------------------------------
--------------|
| prewarm() | line 2653 | SYNC (OK) | Loads silero.VAD.load() once per process -
correct pattern |
| on_job_request() | line 2707 | ASYNC ✅ | Just logging + await req.accept() -
lightweight |
| entrypoint() | line 1153 | ASYNC | Main job entry point
|
| MultilingualModel() | line 1244 | POTENTIALLY BLOCKING | See details below
|
MultilingualModel Analysis
From livekit/plugins/turn_detector/multilingual.py:
class MultilingualModel(EOUModelBase):
def __init__(self, *, unlikely_threshold: float | None = None):
super().__init__(
model_type="multilingual",
unlikely_threshold=unlikely_threshold,
load_languages=_remote_inference_url() is None, # KEY!
)
When LIVEKIT_REMOTE_EOT_URL is SET (LiveKit Cloud):
- load_languages=False → No blocking file I/O
- Initialization is fast and non-blocking ✅
When LIVEKIT_REMOTE_EOT_URL is NOT SET (local development):
- load_languages=True → Blocking operations:
- _download_from_hf_hub() - huggingface_hub file access
- open(config_fname) + json.load() - file reading
silero.VAD.load() Analysis
From livekit/plugins/silero/vad.py docstring:
Note:
This method is blocking and may take time to load the model into memory.
It is recommended to call this method inside your prewarm mechanism.
Current code already handles this correctly - VAD is loaded in prewarm().
Findings
✅ Already Correct
1. silero.VAD.load() - Correctly placed in prewarm(), runs once per process startup
2. on_job_request() - Already async and lightweight
3. No blocking HTTP calls found in agent.py - all .get() calls are dict access
⚠️ Defensive Improvement Possible
MultilingualModel() instantiation at line 1244 could be wrapped in asyncio.to_thread() to ensure it
never blocks, even if env vars change:
# Current (line 1243-1244):
logger.info("Creating Turn Detector (MultilingualModel)...")
turn_detector = MultilingualModel()
# Defensive improvement:
logger.info("Creating Turn Detector (MultilingualModel)...")
turn_detector = await asyncio.to_thread(MultilingualModel) do we need to wrap the mutilingula model isnstational or no ?
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:44 PMShort answer: Yes — wrap it defensively.
Why: When
LIVEKIT_REMOTE_EOT_URLMultilingualModel() Copy code
turn_detector = await asyncio.to_thread(MultilingualModel)silero.VAD.load()prewarm()r
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 8:46 PMwhat is this error about 2025-12-29 204106,821 [WARNING] livekit.plugins.silero: inference is slower than realtime
2025-12-29 204040,372 [INFO] __mp_main__: BackgroundAudioPlayer started - typing sounds enabled during thinking
2025-12-29 204106,824 [WARNING] livekit.plugins.turn_detector: Error fetching threshold for language en
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py", line 779, in _request
resp = await handler(req)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aiohttp/client.py", line 734, in _connect_and_send_request
conn = await self._connector.connect(
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 8:47 PMYou're seeing two related problems: Silero VAD inference falling behind ("inference is slower than realtime") and the turn_detector failing to fetch language thresholds (aiohttp timeouts). Together these cause delayed turn detection and can make worker processes appear unresponsive.
What the errors mean
• "inference is slower than realtime": the VAD model is taking longer to process audio frames than the incoming rate, so audio processing queues up and latency increases.
• "Error fetching threshold for language en" (aiohttp TimeoutError): the turn_detector plugin cannot reach the endpoint it queries for thresholds (network/DNS timeout or unreachable service). That call blocking/retrying adds delay in the pipeline.
Most likely root causes
• CPU throttling or insufficient CPU for real‑time inference (common on burstable instance types like t3/t4g when CPU credits are exhausted).
• High concurrency per instance (too many idle processes or jobs per replica) causing CPU/scheduling contention.
• Network connectivity or DNS issues preventing the turn_detector from contacting the threshold service (or slow external endpoint).
• Blocking initialization or synchronous calls in the audio/turn detector path (less likely if models are prewarmed).
Immediate actions to stabilize
1. Check instance type and CPU credits:
◦ If on burstable instances (t3/t4g), check CloudWatch
CPUCreditBalanceNUM_IDLE_PROCESSESuv run agent.py download-filesMultilingualModel()asyncio.to_thread()CPUCreditBalancer
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 9:09 PMwhere does this error come from livekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError
{"message": "job_request_fnc failed", "level": "ERROR", "name": "livekit.agents", "exc_info": "Traceback (most recent call last):\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1217, in _job_request_task\n await self._request_fnc(job_req)\n File \"/app/src/agent.py\", line 2715, in on_job_request\n await req.accept()\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/job.py\", line 711, in accept\n await self._on_accept(accept_arguments)\n File \"/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/worker.py\", line 1184, in _on_accept\n raise AssignmentTimeoutError() from None\nlivekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError", "job_request": "<livekit.agents.job.JobRequest object at 0x559daf241b50>", "agent_name": "voice-agent", "timestamp": "2025-12-29T210906.252686+00:00"}
2025-12-29 210906,254 [WARNING] livekit.agents: Failed to get memory info for process
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/livekit/agents/ipc/supervised_proc.py", line 427, in _memory_monitor_task
process = psutil.Process(self._pid)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/psutil/__init__.py", line 314, in init
self._init(pid)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.12/site-packages/psutil/__init__.py", line 360, in _init
raise NoSuchProcess(pid, msg=msg) from None
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 9:10 PMGood question — here’s where
livekit.agents._exceptions.AssignmentTimeoutError_on_acceptawait req.accept()_on_acceptreq.accept()NUM_IDLE_PROCESSESprewarm()MultilingualModel()LIVEKIT_REMOTE_EOT_URLawait asyncio.to_thread(MultilingualModel)uv run agent.py download-filesCPUCreditBalanceCPUCreditBalancer
rich-art-45250
12/29/2025, 9:36 PMhow do we fix this error here CRITICAL: Silero VAD Slower Than Realtime (351 occurrences)
Issue: Voice Activity Detection inference falling behind audio stream
Sample:
"inference is slower than realtime" delay: 0.714s
"inference is slower than realtime" delay: 1.243s
Impact:
- Missed speech detection
- Delayed turn-taking
- Speech/silence boundaries incorrectly identified
t
tall-airline-16756
12/29/2025, 9:36 PMThanks — that’s a critical symptom, and I’ll keep this focused on concrete fixes you can apply right away.
Root cause summary
• The Silero VAD is taking longer to process audio frames than they arrive (examples show 0.7–1.2s delays). This is almost always compute or blocking‑IO related: CPU contention/throttling, blocking work on the event loop, or model initialization/runtime I/O.
Immediate fixes (apply now)
1. Prewarm VAD in startup
◦ Ensure
silero.VAD.load()prewarm()NUM_IDLE_PROCESSESuv run agent.py download-filesprewarm()MultilingualModel()await asyncio.to_thread(...)CPUCreditBalance2 Views