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This article describes a debugging journey where a Rust service's memory remained high under load despite no leaks, due to glibc's ptmalloc allocator not releasing freed memory back to the OS. It explains the allocator behavior and provides insights for Rust developers.
Explains why unbounded queues are a bug in software systems, using Little's Law and the bathtub analogy to show that queues only absorb variance, not sustained load. Discusses latency death spirals and advocates for backpressure instead.
The article introduces 'backpressure'—using automated tests and type systems—as a third way to use AI coding agents, making them safer and more autonomous by reducing the need for constant human review.